Double Trouble
by iheartCallieTorres
Summary: AU, but still canon-ish. Arizona moves to Seattle after her brother's death to be closer to her parents and her nieces, six-year-old twins, who she has gained custody of. Callie loves kids, but can she handle Arizona's double trouble twin nieces?
1. The Great Escape

**Title:** Double Trouble (1/?)

**Chapter:** The Great Escape

**Author: **laurenxx3 (iheartcallietorres on ff)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating:** PG-13 [subject to change]

**Summary:** AU, but still cannon-ish - Arizona moves to Seattle after her brother's death to be closer to her parents and her nieces, six-year-old twins, who she has gained custody of. Callie loves kids, but can she handle Arizona's double trouble twin nieces? "It's double the giggles and double the grins and double the trouble when you're blessed with twins." [Unknown]

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-beta'd, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any, but I'm pretty OCD about grammar and spelling, so there shouldn't be too many mistakes. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

**A/N2**: I know I haven't finished Miami Heat, but my muse wouldn't shut up about this new idea for a fic! I am a big hater of nicknames for Arizona like "Ari" and "Zona"… but "Auntie Arizona" is just too much of a mouthful for a six year old! So, they call her "Auntie Zo." I can overlook it when it's kids; can't you? So please forgive me of my use of "Auntie Zo" here and know that I'd NEVER have an adult use a nickname like this. Okay? Okay! : )

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><p><em>[Arizona's POV]<em>

I stretched after placing the last box on the kitchen counter, stiff from unloading all the boxes from the moving truck with the help of my father.

"Is that it?" my dad asks as he observes the utter disarray.

I nod. "Yes, sir," I say. "Except for what's in the car, but that can wait. I need to sit for a moment."

He follows me to the living room where the couch is already situated haphazardly in the center of the large room. I fall onto it unceremoniously, groaning at my protesting muscles.

"Feet off the couch, Arizona," my dad's commanding voice insists.

I open my eyes and think about retorting how this is my house and my couch, not his, but decide against it, moving my legs so that my sneaker-clad feet are dangling off the edge. Even at the age of thirty-four, I'm still intimidated by my highly decorated Military man of a father. A tough guy in every aspect of the word, my father commanded respect and usually got it. That said, he was also a softie at heart when it came to his favorite girls: his wife, aka my mother, me and his two granddaughters, Abby and Emma.

"How are you holding up, sweetheart?" my dad's softer side sprang forth with the gentle question as he settled into the armchair near the couch.

I opened my eyes and sighed. "I guess I'm hanging in there," I said. "It's been rough with the girls, of course, and they miss their daddy. Emma's been acting out a bit and Abby is bottling everything up. She barely talks, even to me." I bit my lip and hesitated at my next thought.

"What's going through your head, Arizona?" my father asked, always having a knack at knowing when something was on my mind.

I sighed again as I sat up on the couch. "What if I can't do this? I never thought I'd even _have _children, yet here I am in charge of two six year olds' well being. What if I'm not cut out for this?"

"Arizona Marie Robbins," my dad said, bringing out the middle name which never failed to gain my attention. "You are a Robbins, a fighter. You're a Peds surgeon! You're great with kids and those little girls adore you. You can do this. And your mother and I are just a phone call away. You know we'd never turn down an opportunity to watch them from time to time. And your mother will be with them while you're at work anyway. You are not alone in this. We all miss Timothy, but he trusted you to care for them. I know you won't let him down."

I couldn't help but smile sadly at the mention of my little brother who'd lost his life just weeks away from returning from Iraq where he was serving his country. It hadn't been an easy road for Timothy in the last six years. He'd married right out of college and the twins had been born barely a year later, healthy and strong. But there'd been complications during the delivery and his wife, Karla, had suffered an aneurism and died less than a week later, never regaining consciousness and never even holding her baby girls. Timmy had been both devastated at losing the love of his life and elated at the birth of his daughters. Even though full of grief for his late wife, he'd stepped up to single fatherhood. He hadn't had a clue as to how to care for a baby, let alone two, but he was a Robbins. A fighter. A good man in a storm. And he'd been one hell of a dad.

And the girls missed him. A lot. Though they adored their 'Auntie Zo' and their 'Nana and papaw,' it was understandable that they miss and want their father, the only parent they'd even known.

The sudden sound of tiny feet racing down the hall startled me out of my thoughts and I glanced over my shoulder. "Hey, what have I told you both about running in the house?" I said, trying my best to be a decent disciplinarian. I was used to spoiling them while Timmy had done the disciplining. I was supposed to be the cool aunt, damn it!

"Sorry Auntie Zo," Emma said with a slight roll of her eyes. "Nana said we could go to Pizza Barn for dinner if it was okay with you. Can we go? Please?"

Abby stayed silent, allowing her sister to do all the begging. I hadn't been kidding when I'd told my father she barely talked anymore. The only time she said something to me was when I asked her a direct question, and then it was usually a one word response.

I glanced at my watch, then at the kitchen that was still in utter disarray. Going out for dinner was probably the best way to go tonight. "Okay, but you have to promise to be on your best behavior," I warned, aiming it more towards the mischievous Emma than the timid Abby.

"Yes, ma'am," Emma said and Abby just nodded.

I glanced behind me and saw my mother enter the room. She leaned over the back of the couch and kissed my forehead. "Will you be joining us?" she asked. "Or would you like us to bring you something back?"

I thought and decided that I didn't really want to go out. "Could you just bring me back a few slices of pepperoni pizza? I'm kind of tired."

"Of course, sweetie. Daniel?"

"I'll join you three beautiful ladies," he said, standing. "Let Arizona here have a bit of quite time to herself."

I grinned up at him, grateful. They left and I set to unpacking, starting with the kitchen so we wouldn't have an excuse to eat out again the next night. If there was one thing that I'd mastered as a kid, it was packing and unpacking. Being a military family, we moved around a lot. I went to a total of seven elementary schools, four middle schools and three high schools. I was used to being the new kid.

After I finished the kitchen, I was too exhausted to do anything more and decided to take a shower to wash away the sweat. I was just pulling on a robe when I heard the front door open and the twins and my parents walk in. I grinned. As much as it scared me that I was now in charge of two six year olds' well-being, they were also the light of my life.

I exited the bedroom to rejoin my family.

::*::*::*::

_[Callie's POV]_

I was just minding my own business in the attendings' lounge when I heard it. A giggle. I glanced around, but didn't see anyone. I shook my head, returning my attention to the medical journal in front of me as I plopped another grape into my mouth. I must have been hearing things.

A few minutes went by, then I heard it again. This time, I knew I wasn't hearing things. I stood and walked towards where it sounded like it was coming from and lifted up the corner of the cloth covering a table, surprised to see two striking blue eyes staring up at me. I knelt down and studied the blond child of about five or six. "Well, look what we have here," I said with a grin. "Are you supposed to be in here, sweetie?"

The girl grinned back, showing off killer dimples and a gap in her lower jaw where she'd recently lost two teeth. "We're playing hide 'n seek with Auntie Zo," the girl explained matter of factly.

"We?" I questioned.

The girl nodded. "Abby's behind the curtain," she replied. I glanced over and indeed noticed two small bright pink shoes poking out from under the heavy curtain.

"Abby, huh? You can come out, Abby." The curtain moved aside and a shy replica of the girl under the table peered out from behind the curtain. They were obviously twins. Adorable ones. I turned back to the girl under the table. "And what's your name?" I asked.

"Emma," she replied. "Who are you?"

"I'm Dr. Torres," I said. "But you can call me Callie. Why don't you come out from under there and we'll go find your parents. Okay?"

The girl shook her head. "Our parents are dead. We live with Auntie Zo now. She works here."

I nodded slowly. "Okay, then why don't we go find your aunt? She's probably looking for you."

"Duh," Emma replied, climbing out from under the table. "That's the point of hide 'n seek."

I chuckled at her precociousness. "Oh, okay. I see. So do you know what your aunt does here? Is she a nurse or a doctor or something else?"

Abby came to stand next to her sister, staring at her feet. I could already tell that Emma was the ring leader.

"She's a surgeon!" Emma exclaimed excitedly. "She cuts open people. Kids like us. She fixes them."

Kids, huh? That must mean she was the new Peds attending replacing Dr. Kinley. I'd heard that the Chief had found a replacement, but I'd yet to work with this person.

"Alright, let's see if we can find her. What's her name?"

"Auntie Zo Robbins," Emma replied. "She wears heelys! I want heelys, but she won't let me. She says we're still too young."

I ushered the girls out of the lounge and looked around. "Hmm, I have to agree with her," I said. "I fix bones for a living. I see a lot of kids coming in with broken arms because of those things. We wouldn't want to see you get hurt now, would we?"

Emma shrugged. Abby stayed silent.

"What about you, miss Abby?" I asked. "Do you want heelys, too?"

The young girl shrugged and I gave up trying to get her to say anything. "Alright, kiddos. Let's find your aunt." I led them to the Peds floor, hoping to find her there. I went right for the nurses' station. "Is the new Peds attending around? I think I found her nieces."

The nurse looked relieved. "Oh, thank goodness! She was going crazy. They escaped from the daycare."

I glanced down at them. Emma shrugged, Abby looked at her feet. I returned my attention to the nurse. "Do you know where she is?"

The nurse didn't even get to answer before I heard a relieved "Thank God!" and a rush of footsteps. I turned towards the sound and my breath immediately caught in my breath at the sight of a gorgeous blonde woman drop to her knees in front of the girls, hugging them close to her. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!" she cried out.

The woman finally glanced up at me and stood, her eyes meeting mine and I felt butterflies in my stomach. "Did you find them?" she asked me.

I nodded. "Uh, yeah, they were, um, hiding in the attending lounge on the third floor."

She smiled broadly and I immediately noticed the resemblance between the surgeon and the small girls. All three were blonde and blue-eyed with amazing smiles and adorable dimples. "Thank you," she said sincerely relieved.

"No problem," I replied. The woman, Dr. Robbins, dropped back down to her knees and addressed the girls.

"You two know better than to leave the daycare!" she admonished. "What were you thinking?"

"We wanted to stay with nana today," Emma pouted. "Daycare is boring."

The older blonde shook her head. "I don't care if it's boring. You're not to leave without an adult ever again. Is that clear?" The two girls nodded. "I can't hear you. I said is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am," both girls said.

"Okay," the woman said. "Let's get you back to the daycare where you'll _stay_ until nana comes to get you."

"Why can't nana come get us now?" Emma pouted.

"Because nana had an appointment," the woman said. "She'll come get you as soon as she's done. Now, let's go."

The woman stood and gave me one last smile before ushering them off down the hall. I couldn't help but grin myself as I watched them board the elevator and saw the girl who I presumed was Emma reach out and press all the buttons on the floor selection, causing the older woman to groan in frustration. I had to chuckle. The woman clearly had her hands full with her nieces, but she seemed to be doing a decent job.

::*::*::*::

_[Arizona's POV]_

After returning the twins to the daycare center and reminding them again that they're to stay put until my mother came to pick them up, I head back to the Peds floor, wondering if I'd catch a glimpse of the mystery woman who'd saved the day. It hadn't been until I'd left the Peds floor that I'd realized that I hadn't gotten the woman's name.

The mystery woman was gone when I returned and I pouted a little bit inside. She was gorgeous with jet black hair falling to frame her face. Her tanned complexion had me guessing that she was of Hispanic descent and her full curves had not escaped my attention.

I shook my head. Now was not the time to be getting involved with anyone anyway. Even if she was gay, which she probably wasn't.

Determined to stop thinking of the mystery woman, I returned my attention to the charts that needed to be filled out. The one thing I hated about this job was the never ending paperwork, which had only intensified with the Head of Peds position I'd acquired merely a week ago.

Though I'd only been there a week, I'd already learned a lot about Seattle Grace Hospital. For one, the gossip mill was ridiculous. I'd thought high school had been bad, but it paled in comparison to SGH. Especially the nursing staff. Which was evident at that very moment.

"I heard she was fired," one nurse whispered to another. "That's why she left so quickly. If she'd quit, wouldn't she have stuck around for a few weeks until they found a replacement?"

"I don't know… I heard that the Chief pissed her off and she took a better offer from Mayo to spite him," another nurse replied. I tried not to listen, but it was damn hard not to.

"Well, whatever the reason, I feel bad for Dr. Torres," the first nurse said and my ears immediately perked up at the name.

"Yeah, me too. She just left her in the parking lot. No goodbye or anything. And after everything she's been through with O'Malley, too…"

"She does seem to attract bad relationships. Which sucks because she's such a warm person. She deserves to be happy."

The buzzing of my pager captured my attention and I glanced down at the offending object, immediately sprinting down the hallway when I noted that it was a 911 from a patient's room. I'd have to forget about the mystery woman and this Dr. Torres for now and focus on saving a life.

The young boy had to be rushed to emergency surgery, but I, along with Dr. Bailey, was able to save him after two hours in the OR. Once we'd gotten him closed up and back to the PICU, I glanced at my watch and noted the time. It had been over seven hours since I ate that bagel with cream cheese for breakfast and my stomach was protesting.

I headed to the cafeteria, dreading the game of 'who do I sit with today?' that I've played every day so far. I was used to it having moved so much when I was a kid, but it was still a pain in the ass. I had just paid for my food and was contemplating just taking it back to my office when a voice captured my attention.

"Any more escape attempts?" I glanced over my shoulder to see the mystery brunette from before paying for her own lunch, offering me a smile. I nearly swooned.

I caught myself staring and quickly snapped myself out of my daze. "Uh, no," I stammered. "No more daring escapes." I mirrored her smile. "Thanks again, by the way. I didn't really get to thank you properly before because, well, I was just glad that they'd been found."

She shook her head, her long hair brushing against her collar bone. "Really, it was no problem," she said. "They're cute kids, your nieces. They look just like you."

I was momentarily stuck on the way she'd inadvertently called me cute. I grinned, then looked at her in confusion. "How'd you know they were my nieces?" I asked. So far, everyone I'd introduced them to at the hospital had assumed they were my daughters.

"They told me," she said.

"_They_ told you?"

She chuckled. "Well, I guess it was more Emma told me that, along with a few other tidbits, and her sister-Abby?" I nodded. "Abby barely said a word." She cocked her head a bit. "Actually, I don't think she said a single word…"

"Don't take it personally," I said. "She hasn't said much of anything to anyone since their dad died a few weeks ago."

A concerned look crossed her face. "I'm sorry to hear that. Your brother, then?"

I nodded. "Yeah," I replied sadly. A sad silence fell over us as my thoughts drifted to Timmy momentarily.

I noted the woman glance over her shoulder and give a slight wave to someone across the room. I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry," I said. "I'm keeping you from your friends. I'll let you go. Thank you again."

I started to walk away, but she stopped me. "Hey, why don't you join us?" she asked. I turned back to face her. "Unless you have other lunch plans?" She smiled and I couldn't say no.

"Just with my e-mail and patient charts, but I suppose that can wait," I replied.

"Great!" she exclaimed, then looked a bit embarrassed by her outburst. I laughed lightly. "So, I only know you as 'Auntie Zo,'" she said as she led me to a table across the cafeteria. "Is that short for Zoë?"

I chuckled. "Not exactly. Arizona Robbins."

"There's a story behind that," she said. "Can't wait to hear it. I'm Callie, by the way. Callie Torres."

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><p><strong>AN: **So, what did you think?


	2. It's Nice to Meet You

**Title:** Double Trouble (2/?)

**Chapter:** It's Nice to Meet You

**Author: **laurenxx3 (iheartcallietorres on ff)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating:** PG-13 [subject to change]

**Summary:** AU, but still canon-ish - Arizona moves to Seattle after her brother's death to be closer to her parents and her nieces, six-year-old twins, who she has gained custody of. Callie loves kids, but can she handle Arizona's double trouble twin nieces?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-beta'd, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any, but I'm pretty OCD about grammar and spelling, so there shouldn't be too many mistakes. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

**A/N2**: Once again, the timeline is all messed up if we're going by Grey's time. But I wanted Teddy to already be there to be a friend to both Callie and Arizona.

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><p><em>[Arizona's POV]<em>

"_So, I only know you as 'Auntie Zo,'" she said as she led me to a table across the cafeteria. "Is that short for Zoë?"_

_I chuckled. "Not exactly. Arizona Robbins." _

"_There's a story behind that," she said. "Can't wait to h__ear it. I'm Callie, by the way. Callie Torres."_

Torres! The mystery woman was the same woman who all the nurses were gossiping about. Which meant…

No! I chastised myself. I can't even think about starting a relationship now. Abby and Emma needed my full attention right now.

I forced myself to smile and follow her. That didn't mean we couldn't be friends, right? Callie led me to a table where a man and a woman, both wearing attending scrubs, were already sitting. "Hey, guys," Callie said as she sat. "This is Arizona Robbins, the new Peds attending." She turned to me as I sat. "Arizona, this is Mark Sloan, plastics, and Teddy Altman, cardio. And I'm ortho, by the way."

I grinned. "It's nice to meet you both," I replied.

"Same," Teddy replied with a smile.

"Peds, huh?" Mark said, a bit of a sly grin on his face. I immediately knew he was about to hit on me and braced myself. "If you ever get tired of discussing Winnie the Pooh and Dora the Explorer and want some adult conversation, you can always page me to the forth floor on-call room for a chat."

"Mark," Callie started, but I put my hand on her arm to shush her, giving her a slight smile.

I turned back to face Mark and gave him a sweet grin. "Thanks for the offer," I said. "But who could ever get tired of talking about Winnie the Pooh? I mean, Pooh's always trying to get the honey and Tigger is always bouncing and Eeyore, oh, don't get me started on Eeyore." The look on Mark's face was too much for me to take and I couldn't contain my laughter any longer. Callie and Teddy joined me while Mark pouted.

"Go ahead and laugh," he said, glaring at Callie and pointing his plastic spoon at her. "You'll see. Blondie will be begging for my stimulating conversation in no time." With that, he stood and left the table, but not before giving me one last lingering glance. I rolled my eyes.

"Don't listen to him," Callie said. "He's just mad because Little Grey still won't talk to him!" She'd said that last part loud enough for him to hear and he tuned back to glare at her. Callie and Teddy laughed.

"Who's Little Grey?" I asked, confused.

"Lexie Grey, the woman he's in love with," Teddy answered.

"And she loves him back, but they're both being stupid right now," Callie added. "She's a resident and is mad at him because it turns out he has an 18 year old daughter that he didn't know about that showed up here one day."

"Pregnant," Teddy interjected.

Callie nodded. "Long story short, Mark told her to move in with him and Lexie… without asking Lexie first."

"Ouch," I said.

Callie nodded. "Not his best move," she said. "But now, his daughter is gone and it's only a matter of time before they reunite. Everyone knows it."

"Everyone but the two of them," Teddy said with a grin. Callie matched her grin and I suddenly wondered if they were a couple. It was hard to tell if they were just close friends or actually dating. Then Teddy reached out and stole a potato chip off Callie's plate and Callie slapped her arm playfully. I felt my inner green-eyed monster surfacing, but had to check myself. I had no claim on Callie. She was free to date who she wanted.

"Arizona?"

I jumped slightly at my name being called and blushed slightly when I noted them both looking questioningly at me. "I'm sorry," I said. "Um, I was thinking about a patient. Did I miss something?"

"Yeah, I asked if you wanted to join us at Joe's tonight," Teddy replied. "It's a bar across the street where a lot of us hang out after our shifts."

"Oh, uh, I appreciate the offer, but I have to get home to Abby and Emma before they drive my mother up the wall."

"We'll have to plan another evening, then," Callie said, giving me a small smile.

I couldn't help but smile back, my gaze meeting Callie's a bit longer than necessary. I shifted my gaze to Teddy and blushed a bit when I noticed her narrowing her eyes at me, confirming my suspicions that they were indeed an item. And seemingly a pretty close one given the intensity of Teddy's stare down.

I was almost grateful for the sudden interruption of a pager, thankful for the distraction. We all checked our pagers and I groaned inwardly when I noted that it was the daycare, wondering what the twins had done this time. I hastily said goodbye and made my way to the daycare, somewhat relieved to be out of there. The last thing I needed was to fall for anyone right now, let alone a woman whose girlfriend obviously has a possessive streak. I just had to keep my mind off Callie Torres.

It turns out that the only reason the daycare paged me was because I'd forgotten to sign the papers necessary to allow them to release the twins to my mother. A retired kindergarten teacher, she normally watched them during the days I worked, but she'd had an appointment that morning, so I'd brought Abby and Emma into the hospital daycare. It was the first time my mother had to pick them up from the daycare.

After signing the necessary papers and filling my mother in on the twins' earlier escape, they left, Emma defending her actions to her grandmother. I chuckled as I heard her try and convince my mother that they'd been playing a game with the center staff. I was definitely going to have to watch her with that imagination. She was a rebel in the making.

I was definitely going to have my work cut out for me.

::*::*::*::

_[Callie's POV]_

"What the hell was that?" I asked Teddy as Arizona rushed off to answer her page.

"What?" Teddy asked innocently, munching on a potato chip. One of _my_ potato chips.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "The stare down? What was that for?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Teddy replied, not meeting my gaze. I just stared at her, giving her my own stare down, as taught by Bailey, until she broke. "She was totally flirting with you!" Teddy finally said.

A gave her a 'yeah right' look. "You're delusional."

"Uh, huh," Teddy said, rolling her eyes. "She totally was."

"That doesn't explain the stare down," I pointed out, taking a bite of my lunch and wondering if the blonde peds surgeon had really been flirting or not. It had been a while since Erica had left, but I'm still not sure if I was ready for another relationship or not, or if she was even gay.

"I just don't want to see you hurt," Teddy said. "I obviously wasn't here when my predecessor left you because, well, you can't have two heads of cardio, but you've become one of my best friends in the few months I've been here. I know that title officially belongs to Mark, but he was too busy pining over Lexie and using Arizona as a way to deny it to notice. So it's my job to protect you."

I laughed aloud. "I don't need protecting, Teddy," I insisted, exasperated, then softened. "But I do appreciate it. You're a good friend." My pager sounded and I smiled as I stood. "And she wasn't flirting with me."

"She totally was!" I heard Teddy call out as I left the cafeteria. I chuckled and found myself smiling as I made my way to the pit to answer the page.

The stupid grin remained on my face for the rest of my shift, there because of a certain blonde constantly on my mind. Had she been flirting with me?

I was consulting on an elderly woman with a possible broken hip a bit later when I heard a sweet voice a few beds over. I glanced up and nearly melted when I saw Arizona leaning down to meet a young boy's eyes, chatting animatedly with him as a nurse drew his blood.

She was obviously great with children, as evidenced by the way she entranced the boy in front of her. And from the brief conversation I'd had with her nieces earlier, well, with Emma, that is, it was also obvious kids adored her. And it was no wonder why. She… sparkled with them. Her smile was genuine and her laugh was melodic and soothing. Her eyes shone with amusement.

"Dr. Torres?"

I snapped out of my trance at the sound of my name being called, looking up into the unamused expression of Miranda Bailey. "Oh, uh, hey Bailey. What's up?"

She glanced over her shoulder towards Arizona, then back to me, shaking her head and muttering something I couldn't quite make out under her breath. "I was asking you what you thought about Mrs. Jeffery's hip."

"Oh, uh, yeah," I stuttered, then turned to an intern. "Take her up to CT, then page me when you get the results," I said. I turned back to Bailey, a sheepish expression on my face.

"I don't want to know," she said, moving past me to the ER desk.

I followed her, leaning against the counter top and returning my gaze to Arizona, who was now busy listening to the boy's heart though her stethoscope and talking to his worried parents.

"You're staring, Torres," Bailey said, not looking up from the computer.

"What?" I asked, forcing my gaze away from Arizona and to Bailey.

"You're staring. Like a lovesick puppy. It's distracting."

"To who, her or you?"

"Me," she answered, still staring at the computer screen. "I've never known you to pussyfoot around, Torres."

I sighed and leaned my elbows on the countertop. "It's complicated," I said.

"And you're about to tell me just how complicated it is, aren't you?" Bailey guessed, sounding annoyed. But that didn't faze me.

"Yep. She has nieces. Adorable twins, about five or six."

Bailey finally looked up at me, obviously confused. "You won't just go ask her out because she… has nieces?"

I realized how that sounded and shook my head. "I mean, she's raising them. Like, she has custody and they live with her."

"I'm aware of what 'raising them' means," Bailey said with a slight eye roll. "And I still don't see the problem."

I sighed. "Do I really want to get involved with someone who has kids? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love kids and can't wait to have some of my own one day, but… she just got custody of them a few weeks ago. She's still trying to figure things out and they seem to be quite a handful." I chuckled. "You know, they escaped from the daycare today."

"Those were her nieces?" Bailey questioned, shaking her head, murmuring something about discipline. She stood and gathered a few charts, looking at me intensely. "You know I'm the last to get involved in others' personal lives," she said. "But I know you won't stop, so I'll say this once and then you'll never talk to me about this again, okay?"

I nodded.

"Just get to know her a bit more before you make a decision."

Bailey started off and I stared at her retreating back. "That's it?" I called after her. She didn't respond and I sighed heavily as I rounded the counter and fell into the abandoned chair, my gaze immediately drifting back to where Arizona had last been as I mulled over what Bailey had said. I pouted slightly when she was nowhere to be seen.

I glanced at the clock and groaned. I still had three hours left of my 12 hour shift. I leaned my head back and wished for a kickass surgery to take my mind off the gorgeous blonde.

Five hours later, I reminded myself to be careful what I wished for as I scrubbed out of an intense surgery, which, of course, I'd kicked ass in. But I was also supposed to be off two hours ago.

The door leading from the OR to the scrub room slid open and Teddy, who'd been in on the surgery, entered the scrub room to wash up. "Oh, God, I'm so exhausted," she groaned, rubbing soap into her hands.

I nodded in agreement. "Did you want to skip Joes, then?" I asked.

She looked over me like I was insane. "Hell no," she said. "I'm off tomorrow and I need a drink. Or five. And a man. A cute one. No, a hot one."

I laughed at the wistful look on her face. "So, in other words, you're trolling for a man tonight?"

She smiled broadly. "Exactly. And maybe you'll find someone to strike up a conversation with… or get laid…"

I rolled my eyes and dried my hands. "I'm not looking to get laid," I insisted.

Teddy grinned and dried her own hands. "That's because you already have someone on your mind."

I walked out of the scrub room, Teddy on my heels. "I don't know what you're talking about," I tried to deny, even though I already knew it was useless.

"So you won't mind if some hot blonde that _doesn't _work in this hospital hits on you? You'll flirt back and maybe even get her number?"

I glanced over at her, a nonchalant look on my face. "Sure," I said slowly. "I guess. Because there's no reason for me not to. I'm single and unattached."

"Right," Teddy agreed with a smirk. "And you don't have a crush on anyone."

"Nope. No crushes. I am crush-free." At the very moment I said that, I looked to my left and saw a smiling Arizona rolling down the hall. Rolling? Yes, those heelies. She rolled right past us, giving us a dimpled smile and a soft "hey" before continuing on, gliding effortlessly on the rolling shoes. I couldn't help but turn slightly to follow her with my eyes.

"No crushes at all," Teddy said in a sing song voice after Arizona had turned the corner.

"Shut up," I growled, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the locker room to change.

I need a drink. Now.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Wow, y'all seem to really like this! I'm so glad. It's been my pet project lately. :) Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. They really do encourage me to write quicker *hint hint*. So here's a question for y'all: Would you prefer longer chapters less often or shorter chapters more frequently? (And don't say longer chapters more frequently! lol) Let me know!


	3. Chocolate Milk

**Title:** Double Trouble (3/?)

**Chapter:** Chocolate Milk

**Author: **laurenxx3 (iheartcallietorres on ff)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating:** PG-13 [subject to change]

**Summary:** AU, but still canon-ish - Arizona moves to Seattle after her brother's death to be closer to her parents and her nieces, six-year-old twins, who she has gained custody of. Callie loves kids, but can she handle Arizona's double trouble twin nieces?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-beta'd, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any, but I'm pretty OCD about grammar and spelling, so there shouldn't be too many mistakes. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

**A/N2**: Thanks for all the reviews! I'm so glad you're enjoying this. :)

* * *

><p><em>[Arizona's POV]<em>

I pushed open the front door of my new house and was nearly bowled over by the twins.

"Auntie Zo!" Emma cried out, hugging my leg tightly. This was normal. As much as they loved their grandmother, I was the most stable person in their lives right now, so anytime I came home after working, or ever just a quick run to the grocery store, they clung to me.

"Hey munchkins," I greeted, dropping to a knee and gathering them close. Abby clung to my neck, even after Emma pulled away. "Where's nana?" I asked, attempting to stand, but Abby still clung to me.

"Kitchen," Emma responded, already running back towards the kitchen.

"Hey, no running in the house!" I called after her. I grunted slightly as I stood, picking up Abby and carrying her. She was honestly too big for me to carry, but I hated to make her let go. I knew she's had some attachment issues since losing her father. Not that I blamed her, but I was beginning worry. They would be starting the first grade in a few weeks and they would most likely be split into two different classes. Abby needed to socialize with children other than her sister.

"Hi, Mom," I greeted as I entered the kitchen.

My mother stood a the stove, stirring a pot. "Hi, honey," she greeted as I went over to kiss her cheek, Abby still in my arms. "How was the rest of your day?"

"It was… good," I replied, remembering my brief interaction with Callie at lunch. I felt my cheeks flushing a bit and turned away from my mother so she wouldn't see. Emma sat at the kitchen table, coloring in a coloring book. I grinned at the way she stuck out her tongue slightly as she concentrated on not going outside the lines as she filled in one of Nemo's orange stripes. I walked Abby over to where she'd been sitting next to Emma, as evidenced by the half-colored picture of The Incredibles. I bent down so Abby could return to her seat, relieved when she didn't put up a fight and immediately returned to coloring.

I turned back to my mother. "Smells good," I commented.

"There's a pot roast in the oven and the mac and cheese is almost done," she said, bending to pull a colander out of the cupboard.

"Veggies?" I inquired about. I've never been so concerned about a balanced diet, until I started caring for Abby and Emma. Now I'm almost religious about making sure they, and by extension, myself, get enough fruits and vegetables in our diets.

"Carrots, potatoes and peas are cooking with the pot roast," she replied with a smirk. She poured the noodles from the saucepan into the colander over the sink, draining the water before tipping the noodles back into the pan. "I think you can take it from here," she said, handing me the wooden spoon. "Your father's taking me out tonight," she explained with a grin.

"Oooh," I teased, moving my eyebrows up and down. "Special occasion?"

"Just a date night," she said, going over to the twins and kissing them both goodbye. "The roast is ready."

"Well, have fun," I said after hugging her goodbye. She left and I finished dinner, stirring the cheese into the noodles, then pouring them into a large bowl. "Hey, can you two clear your coloring things off the table and then set it? Dinner is almost ready."

They did as I asked, placing their books and the bag of crayons on a shelf against the wall. Emma grabbed the three plates that had already been taken out of the cabinet and put them around the table while Abby opened the silverware drawer and got out three forks.

"I can't reach the cups," Emma said as she tried her hardest to stretch her tiny body high enough to open the cabinet, still a good foot away from it.

I chuckled. "I'll get the cups. Go wash your hands." They both raced out of the room, gone before I could remind them to not run in the house. I sighed and shook my head. Handful.

I placed the bowl of mac and cheese on the table before pulling the roast out of the over, inhaling the succulent scent, my stomach growling in anticipation. I grabbed three cups out of the cupboard, two small plastic ones and a bigger glass one, and poured milk into all of them. The twins returned just as I was replacing the milk carton in the refrigerator.

We sat at the table and I dished out mac and cheese, roast and veggies to both of them, making sure to cut the roast into bite-sized pieces for both of them, then filled my own plate.

"Can I have chocolate in my milk?" Emma asked around a mouthful of mac and cheese.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," I said. "And no, you can't." I hated being the disciplinarian when it came to them.

Emma made a show of swallowing her food, then pouted. "Please?" she asked, giving me her best dimple-filled smile.

I shook my head. "Don't use that look on my. I invented that look. And the answer is still no. Maybe, if you eat all your dinner, I'll let you have a small bowl of ice cream after dinner. Now drink your milk."

Emma crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the green plastic cup on the table. "But I don't like milk without chocolate in it," she said stubbornly.

I tried to keep my cool, knowing Emma's rebellion was directly related to losing her father. "You liked milk just fine yesterday," I pointed out. "I said no. Don't ask again. You're still on thin ice for your little escape from the daycare this morning."

She just sat there pouting, so I turned my attention to Abby. I hated the thought of her being over looked because her sister was getting all the attention for acting out. "Abby, did you have fun with nana today?"

Abby nodded, taking a bite of potato, not uttering a word. I sighed and wondered if I should take her to see a child psychologist. Maybe both of them could benefit from it, actually.

I noted that Emma still hadn't moved from her arms-cross, pouting position. "Come on, Em, finish your dinner," I urged softly.

"I'm not hungry," Emma said under her breath in a surly voice.

"Cut the attitude, Emma Grace," I scolded, my stomach clenching as I did so, but I knew I couldn't be too soft on her. This was definitely the part of parenting I hated. The playing and watching Disney movies and coloring? All of that I loved. But the discipline? That I could do without. "Either you stop whining and eat your dinner or you go to your room, no dessert, no TV and no video games."

I saw her deliberating internally and I silently prayed she'd make the decision to eat her dinner, but instead she hopped up from the table, the motion sending her chair toppling to the hardwood floor with a loud crash. "You can't tell me what to do!" she yelled before turning and stomping out of the room. I could hear her angry footsteps all the way up the stairs and into the room the twins shared, followed by the slam of the door.

Well, that wasn't fun. I sighed again and rubbed at my eyes, trying to clear my head. I glanced over at Abby who was studying me intently as she chewed on a piece of meat. I propped my head on my hand as I studied her back. I reached out and tucked a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "Emma's mad at Auntie Zo, huh?"

Abby nodded.

"Any ideas how I should handle this?"

She just shrugged and took another bite of mac and cheese.

"I guess I have to be the adult here, huh?"

Abby nodded.

I looked at my plate of food, suddenly no longer hungry. I stood and, after setting Emma's abandoned chair upright, I took my plate along with Emma's to the refrigerator, covering them both with foil and sliding them into the cold box for later. I returned to the table and leaned down to kiss the top of Abby's head.

"Do you still love me, Abs?"

Abby nodded, then stood on her chair to hug me. "I love you, Auntie Zo," she said quietly. I grinned and hugged her back.

"I love you, too, Abs," I replied, giving her a squeeze, then letting her go. "Go ahead and finish your dinner. I'm going to go have a little chat with your sister. When you're done, remember to put your dishes in the sink, okay?" She nodded and sat back down. "Okay. You can turn the TV on when you're done."

I made my way upstairs, stopping at the door to the twins' room to take a calming breath before knocking once, then pushing the door open. "Em?"

I got no response from the upset child as she sat on the ledge of the bay window, hugging her stuffed bear close as she stared out the window overlooking the backyard. I advanced carefully into the room, grabbing one of the tiny chairs that surrounded the small tea party table and brought it next to the sobbing girl. My heart broke at the sound of her sobs and the sight of her tears. I sat down and reached out for Emma, but she recoiled from my touch, further breaking my heart. I sighed. "I hate when I have to punish you, you know," I said softly, willing her to respond to me.

"Then don't," came her reply and I almost had to laugh at her precociousness. Almost.

"I have to, Em," I insisted. "Would your father have let you give him attitude like that?"

"No," she replied sadly. "But he's dead."

Her blunt words cut straight through my heart. "I know, sweetie, but that doesn't mean you can disrespect me like that. I know I used to just be fun Auntie Zo that would let you get away with whatever you wanted, but I can't do that anymore, Em."

She finally turned her watery gaze to me. "Why not? I love fun Auntie Zo."

"I know, sweetie, and I loved being fun Auntie Zo, and I can be fun Auntie Zo at times, but I also have to be not so fun parent Auntie Zo, too. I know I can never replace your father. I don't want to. But you need someone to take care of you. That has to be me now. You get that, right?"

Emma sniffed and nodded. "I miss my dad," she sobbed.

I immediately gathered her into my arms, lifting her to sit in my lap as she curled into me. "I know, baby, I know. I miss him too." I rocked her slightly as she cried, the front of my shirt dampened by her tears. I rubbed her back until her sobs turned into hiccups. I sat her up a bit and wiped her cheeks with my thumbs. "I know he misses you and Abby, too. But you know what? He's always looking down on you from Heaven where he's hanging out with Elvis."

That made Emma give a small smile. "Daddy loved Elvis," she said.

"He sure did," I said, recalling all the Elvis memorabilia my brother had had as a kid and even as an adult. "And he's up there singing for you along side Elvis."

"You really think so?" Emma asked, sniffling again.

"I know so," I insisted. Then I turned serious once again. "And I also know," I started, making sure she was paying close attention to me, "that he'd be upset by the way you behaved tonight, wouldn't he?"

Emma lowered her eyes. "Yes, ma'am," she replied softly.

"And do you know what he'd want you to do?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"I think he'd make you apologize, wouldn't he?"

She looked up and nodded slightly. "I'm sorry, Auntie Zo. I didn't mean to be bad."

"I accept your apology, Emma," I said, hugging her again. "I love you, munchkin."

"Love you, too," she responded, wrapping her skinny arms around my neck. After a moment, she pulled back and jumped off my lap. "Can I watch Hannah Montana now?"

I gave her a 'yeah right' look and shook my head. "I don't think so, Em," I said. "Remember what I said downstairs? I told you that if you left the table, you wouldn't be allowed to watch TV or play video games tonight."

She pouted a bit, but didn't fight me, for which I was grateful. "Alright, but can I finish my dinner? I'm still hungry."

"Sure," I said, not about to let her go hungry. "But you have to drink your milk, _without _chocolate, and no dessert, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed sadly. She grabbed my hand and led me out of the room, back downstairs and into the kitchen. Abby had already finished her dinner and cleared her place. I heard the television on in the living room and the sounds of the Disney Channel filtering through the doorway. Emma sat down at the table while I reheated our dinners. I poured another glass of milk for us each and had to stifle my grin as Emma immediately picked up her cup and gulped half of it down.

I was glad when, after finishing her meal, Emma didn't even ask to watch TV again. I began to worry a bit when she asked if she could just go to bed, but brushed it off. She'd had an emotional evening and she was just like me in that crying makes her tired.

I stuck my head into the living room as I took Emma upstairs. "Hey, Abs, why don't you go ahead and come upstairs with us and take your bath?"

Abby didn't even protest as she turned off the TV and followed us up the stairs. After bathing them and helping them dry off and get into their pajamas, I took them into their room. Emma was tired and ready for bed, but Abby was still wide awake. I decided that she could stay up a bit longer since there was still and hour left before their usual bedtime. I tucked Emma in and kissed her goodnight, then Abby and I made our way back downstairs.

"How about we have a little you and me time?" I asked as we made ourselves comfortable on the couch. Abby nodded. "Alright, what do you want to do?" I asked.

She thought for a moment, then smiled. "Will you paint my nails?" she asked.

I smiled. "Sure thing," I said. "What color would you like?"

"Pink!" she insisted.

I nodded and stood. "Be right back," I said, running upstairs to the master bathroom to grab a couple different pink nail polishes for her to choose from. "Which one?" I asked, laying three out in front of her. She pointed to a bright metallic-y color and I grinned. "That's my favorite," I told her. "How about a bit of ice cream first, and then I'll paint your nails?"

"Cookie dough?"

I mockingly scoffed. "Cookie dough? You want _cookie dough_ ice cream?"

Abby nodded insistently.

"Hmm, I'm not sure if we have any," I teased, knowing full well that there was a fresh carton of cookie dough ice cream in the freezer. "Why don't we go check?"

I scooped a little bit of ice cream into two bowls, handing one to Abby, and returned to the living room. "What's on Disney now?" I asked, clicking on the flat screen.

"Good Luck Charlie!" Abby cheered when the picture appeared. With the exception of Hannah Montana, it was her favorite show.

We settled in to watch the show, Abby snuggled into my side, and ate our ice cream. After we'd finished, I painted Abby's fingernails the bright pink color, chuckling at the way she turned her palm towards her face, curling her fingers so she could blow on her nails.

"Want me to paint your toes, too?"

Abby nodded and offered me her small feet, laying back on the couch like a princess as she continued to blow on her fingernails. I laughed and did her toes, loving this one-on-one time with the quieter of the two twins. Don't get me wrong, I loved Emma and spending time with her, but Abby seemed to inadvertently get the short end of the stick when it came to attention because her sister demanded so much of mine and her grandparents'. I knew it was important to insure she gets the attention she deserved. Which was hard when Emma misbehaved.

But I did my best. Which was all anyone could ask for, right?

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Sorry for the lack of Callie/Arizona interaction in this chapter, but I felt it was important to highlight Arizona's relationship with each twin. I had planned on having Emma's outburst as the beginning of the chapter, then a bit of C/A interaction in the second half, but I decided to include Arizona's interaction with Abby. I'll readily admit that I'm so in love with the twins. And it seems like the general consensus is longer chapter LESS frequently (those of you who tried to trick me with "longer chapters MORE frequently" even after I said don't do that - Shame on you! lol). This one is a bit shorter (~7.5 pages in word) because I'd already written it before reading the reviews, but I'll do longer chapters (~12 pages in word) in the future. Um, also, don't get used to this quick of an update. Our internet is out at the moment (a storm Thursday night messed it up), so I've have more time to write than usual lately. =P


	4. Coffee and Confessions

**Title:** Double Trouble (4/?)

**Chapter:** Coffee and Confessions

**Author: **laurenxx3 (iheartcallietorres on ff)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating:** PG-13 [subject to change]

**Summary:** AU, but still canon-ish - Arizona moves to Seattle after her brother's death to be closer to her parents and her nieces, six-year-old twins, who she has gained custody of. Callie loves kids, but can she handle Arizona's double trouble twin nieces?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely NO medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-beta'd, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any, but I'm pretty OCD about grammar and spelling, so there shouldn't be too many mistakes. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

**A/N2**: Y'all are amazing. Every last one of you. :)

* * *

><p><em>[Callie's POV]<em>

"What about her?" Teddy said, pointing to a cute redhead across the bar. "She's hot. And alone! Go talk to her."

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "You're checking out more women than I am. What happened to you finding a hot guy for yourself?"

"How long has it been since you last got laid?" Teddy asked seriously.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "I don't see what that has to do with anything," I said, not wanting to admit how long it had really been.

"It matters," she said, placing emphasis on the last word, "because it's only been a month for me."

"That's because you got drunk and horny and slept with Mark," I pointed out.

She waved her hand, brushing off my comment. "So _not_ the point," she said. "How long has it been? Really?"

I sighed. "Since Erica," I muttered.

"What?" Teddy cried out a little louder than she meant to, choking on her beer. "That was… how long have I been here? Eight months? And she left three months before I came, so… almost a year? What about that cute nurse you flirted with a few months ago? I thought you two hooked up?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "I never said we hooked up," I said. "Who told you that?"

"Mark," Teddy admitted, shrugging.

I shook my head. "Never happened," I said. "Turns out she was pining over an ex, who I actually helped her get back together with. They're planning on getting married this summer. I already got my invitation."

Teddy started at me. "You're kidding, right?"

I shook my head. "Dead serious. We kissed once, she broke down crying, I asked what was wrong and she spilled her guts to me, said she was still in love with her ex, I told her it was okay and we came up with a plan to get them back together and now we're friends. End of story."

"Wait, wait, wait, how did I not know about this?"

I shrugged. "We weren't that close yet."

Teddy sighed. "That's it! We're getting you laid. Tonight."

Once again, I rolled my eyes. "Teddy, I told you, I don't want some random hook up. I'm not trolling for women," I declared, making it known that it wasn't up for discussion.

Teddy pouted, then looked over my shoulder, her expression brightening a bit. "Hey, it's the new Peds surgeon!" she said, indicating the entrance to the bar.

I immediately perked up, whipping around to look at the entrance but not seeing the blonde anywhere in sight. Teddy's laughter rang out from the other side of the table. I turned back and glared at her.

"You got it bad," Teddy said.

"That wasn't funny," I murmured, sipping my beer.

"I disagree, but that's not my point. If you aren't going to pursue the sexy blonde Peds surgeon, you need something, or someone, to take you mind off her. So, cute redhead at the bar."

"Really, Teddy, I don't want to just hook up with some stranger. I'll be fine, I promise. If you want to find some hot guy to take home, go for it. Just do us both a favor and don't go for Mark again."

Teddy made a sour face. "No problem there," she said, then sighed. "Alright, I'll drop it. For now. But only because you're the best friend I have here."

"Thank you," I said. "Now, hot guys?"

Teddy shook her head. "If you're not getting laid, neither am I."

"Teddy," I started to protest.

"Nope," she insisted. "We'll make it a girls' night. Well, a platonic girls' night because as much as I like you and think you're all kinds of hot and sexy, I don't swing that way anymore."

I couldn't help by laugh at that, then I stopped when I'd realized what she'd said. "Wait, anymore?"

Teddy shrugged. "Just the typical college experimentation between roommates. It was no big deal. Doesn't every college coed experiment with other girls?"

I shook my head. "I didn't," I said. "But to be fair, I dated the same guy throughout most of college, so I wasn't really ever single long enough to experiment."

Teddy gave me a strange look. "Wait, when did you figure you you're gay, then?"

I shrugged. "I'm not really gay," I mused. "I don't know, I just don't really care about gender, I guess." I shrugged again. "It's just that lately, I'm more attracted to the women I meet."

"Woman," Teddy muttered.

"Huh?"

"Oh, come on, how many people have you honestly been attracted to in the past, oh, month or so? Male or female?"

"Um," I thought, then blushed when I realized where she was going with this.

"Exactly what I thought," Teddy said, satisfied. "Arizona Robbins is the only one. Am I right?"

"Maybe," I muttered, not looking her in the eye. "Can we not talk about this now?"

"Alright, I did promise," Teddy agreed. "But I will get it out of you eventually. I'm stubborn like that."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't I know it."

It was a mere five minutes later when Teddy's gaze settled on something towards the bar. "Yummy," Teddy commented.

I turned to look at what had caught her attention and had to smile as I took in the tall, dark and handsome man Teddy had managed to discover. I chuckled. "Go," I said when I realized her attention would no longer be on our current boring conversation.

"What?" Teddy asked, returning her gaze to me.

"I said go. I'm tired anyway."

"You sure?"

I nodded, gathering my purse and lightweight jacket. "Yep. See you later, Teddy."

"G'night!" she called out after me as I left the bar and headed back to my apartment, fully intent on crawling into my bed and getting some much needed sleep.

::*::*::*::

_[still Callie's POV]_

I yawned as I sat at the ER desk, covering my mouth with one hand as I reached for my cup of coffee with the other, pouting when I remembered that it was empty. I hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night, a certain blonde on my mind, the alcohol I'd consumed with Teddy not helping matters. I'd drank enough to allow my mind to focus on the blonde, but not enough to make me drowsy and go to sleep easily.

Now it was a mere hour into my shift and I was exhausted. It didn't help that it was a slow day, not that I'd say that aloud. I'd learned my lesson long ago to never say that it's a slow day in the pit.

I tossed the empty coffee cup into the trash and looked around the pit, grinning when I saw Mark approaching. "Hey, want to be an amazing friend and coworker?" I asked in as sweet a voice as I could muster.

He eyed me carefully as he leaned on the ER desk, filling out a chart. "What do you want?"

I grinned up at him and pulled five bucks out of my pocket, holding it up to him. "Will you go get me a coffee? From the cart by the front entrance? A large one. With two creams and two sugars?"

Mark flipped the chart closed and chuckled. "Why can't you go get it yourself?" he asked.

I gestured around me. "I'm in charge of the pit today. I can't leave it unattended!" I cried out in mock indignation.

"Nice try," he said. "But I was paged for a consult, so I'm needed." He grinned and turned to walk towards an occupied bed to treat a burn victim.

"Thanks for nothing, Sloan!" I called out, leaning me head back against the chair and closing my eyes as I stifled another yawn, cursing my earlier decision to only get a small coffee. What on earth had I been thinking?

Ten minutes later, I was dozing off in my chair when I heard a voice call out my name. "Callie," the sweet voice lulled me back to consciousness. I opened my eyes, surprised to see Arizona standing in front of the ER desk, smiling sweetly down at me.

"Oh, hey," I said, sitting up straighter and trying to muster up some energy, but failing miserably as I yawned once again. "Sorry," I said sheepishly.

She chuckled and leaned over the desk, placing a large cup of what appeared to be coffee in front of me. "Two creams and two sugars, right?"

I looked up at her surprised.

She shrugged. "I heard you ask Sloan," she replied, sipping her own coffee. "And I was in need of caffeine myself, so…"

"Oh, God, thank you," I gushed as I grabbed the cup and sipped carefully at the scalding liquid, groaning in pleasure as it traveled down my throat. I glanced up at her again. "You really didn't have to, but it was sweet of you. Here." I held out the five dollar bill to her, but she waved it off.

"It's on me, but I expect the favor to be returned in the near future," she replied with a grin.

I laughed and pocketed the five. "Duly noted." I took another sip, humming in pleasure.

I noticed Arizona clearing her throat and stand up straight. "Late night with Teddy?" she asked, fiddling with a pen.

I shook my head. "Just couldn't sleep." I decided to leave out just _why_ I'd had trouble sleeping. "Teddy and I weren't out very late. She ended up meeting this hot guy and, well, you know…"

Arizona looked surprised. "And you're… okay with that?"

I gave her a questioning look. "Why wouldn't I be okay with it?" I asked. "I mean, she's a grown woman."

"I know that, but aren't you two…" she trailed off.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Together?" she finished. "Like, a couple?"

I'd just taken a sip of hot coffee when those words came out of her mouth and I couldn't help snorting in amusement, causing me to choke and spill on my scrub shirt.

"Oh!" Arizona said, reaching for some tissues. "Here." She handed me the tissues and I wiped the liquid off my face and dabbed at my shirt.

"Sorry," I said, flushing a bit. "You just surprised me with that one. What made you think Teddy and I were a thing?"

She shrugged, returning to her leaning position against the counter. "You two seemed pretty chummy in the cafeteria yesterday and then Teddy gave me this… look. Like she was trying to warn me to stay away from what's hers."

I couldn't help but laugh again. "We're friends. And Teddy was just… being Teddy. She's fiercely protective of her friends." I shook my head. "And she's straight. Like, really straight."

Arizona raised an eyebrow. "And you're not?" Her pager sounded and she glanced down at it briefly before looking back at me and giving me a slight grin. "Good to know." I didn't get a chance to reply before she rolled-yes, rolled-down the hallway to the elevators, not looking back.

What just happened?

::*::*::*::

_[Arizona's POV]_

I wasn't sure what to do with the bit of information Callie had just inadvertently given me. I'd had my suspicions that she was a fellow lady-lovin' lady from the gossip I'd overheard from the nurses, but you can't really trust the nurse gossip around here. If I did, I'd also have to believe that the Chief and Bailey are having an affair, which was just ludicrous.

And I'd also learned that she and Teddy _weren't_ a couple, as I'd originally assumed. Just close friends from the look of it.

So, did that mean Callie was single?

I pushed that thrilling, and also dangerous, thought from my head as I answered my page.

The page ended up being for one of my patients who had undergone surgery the previous day to remove a benign tumor. The difficulty of removing the tumor had put her at high risk for infection and she needed to go back to the OR to have some more tissue removed before the infection spread.

It was a tedious task, but working alongside Bailey, we were successful and the teenaged girl shouldn't encounter anymore problems, at least we hoped not. As we were scrubbing out, I glanced over at Bailey, unable to tamper my curiosity. "Dr. Bailey, can I ask you a question?"

"Is it medically related?" she quipped.

"Well, kind of," I said, stretching the truth. "It's about a medical professional."

She looked at me like I'd grown a pair of horns, shaking her hands to rid them of the extra water before reaching for a towel to dry them. "I don't do personal drama, Dr. Robbins," she said.

"But-"

"I don't want to know," she insisted, walking out of the scrub room. I followed her.

"But you're friends with Dr. Torres, right?"

Bailey sighed dramatically, then stopped in the middle of the hall, turning to face me. "You're not going to stop asking me questions, are you?"

I shook my head.

"Dr. Torres," she said, emphasizing the word 'doctor,' "is a talented surgeon, good with a scalpel and a bone saw." She paused, holding up her hand when I was about to point out that I wasn't inquiring about Callie as a doctor. "Dr. Torres," Bailey continued, then softened a bit, just a little, "Callie, is a _good_ person. A little broken, a little abused, but she's strong. She's been through a lot in the past two years and she deserves to be happy. She _doesn't _need someone who's going to break her again. Now, that's _all_ I am going to say about this subject. So unless you have a real medical question, I need to go update the patient's family."

"Of course," I said, taking in what she'd said as she walked away. She wasn't warning me to stay away from Callie, she was warning me to not hurt her. I understood that. I respected that.

It also get me thinking. Would it be fair to her to start something when my attention was so focused on the twins. And the twins! How could I even think about messing with their already fragile state? _They_ needed me right now. More than I needed a love life.

I sighed and pulled off my scrub cap, pulling at the hair band holding my hair back in a messy ponytail. I ran my fingers through my hair as I made my way to the cafeteria to grab some lunch, mind reeling at the all the thoughts rushing through my head.

::*::*::*::

_[Callie's POV]_

I tilted my head in curiosity as Teddy sat across from me at the table in the cafeteria. I looked at her expectantly, but she just dug into her lunch, taking a generous bite of her sandwich. I gestured with my hand. "Well?"

She looked at me and swallowed. "Well, what?"

I rolled my eyes. "What happened with the hottie after I left last night?" I asked.

She couldn't hide the grin from me, though she tried by taking a sip of her drink. "Well, his name is Henry and… we talked."

"Talked?" I asked, leaning forward in interest.

"Yeah, for two hours."

"And then…?"

Teddy smiled. "And then… I gave him my phone number and he walked me to my car. He said he'd call this evening and set up a date."

My eyes widened in surprise, mostly because Teddy wasn't really a relationship kind of girl. At least, not anymore. "Are you serious? So is this like… for real? You're actually going to _date_ a guy?"

Teddy shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe."

I sat up straight, studying my friend with a grin on my face.

"What?" Teddy asked.

I shook my head. "Oh, nothing. Just never thought I'd see the day you even thought about settling down."

She looked thoughtful. "You know, before I came here, I was all about the relationships. Then, Owen happened. Don't get me wrong, I'm over him." She knit her brow. "Well, mostly, anyway. But that's not the point. I was doing the whole hooking up because I was depressed. But I'm not anymore. And the hooking up? Not fun anymore. I miss the closeness and the intimacy of a committed relationship. I want that again."

I smiled. "Welcome back to adulthood, Teddy. Fun, isn't it?"

She rolled her eyes. "If being so nervous about a phone call that may not even occur that you can hardly concentrate all day is fun, then yeah, it's a blast."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Why wouldn't he call? You're amazing."

Teddy blushed slightly. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"And besides, apparently you are excellent relationship material," I said, suppressing a grin.

She gave me a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"Well, excellent lesbian relationship material, at least. Apparently, Arizona Robbins thought you and I were a couple." I nodded my head.

Teddy snorted. "You… and _me_? A _couple_? That's insane!"

"Hey! You don't have to laugh at the idea. I happen to be an excellent girlfriend!"

Teddy wiped away a tear, stifling her laughter. "I'm sorry, that's not how I meant that. I just… I just meant that the thought of _me_ dating a woman. Ha!"

I continued to look at her, unimpressed.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, Callie. You're hot and all, but really, I got more than enough of my fill of lady lovin' in college."

I scoffed. "Whatever. You know you want me!"

"Oh, baby, I want you so bad," Teddy replied in a deadpan, monotone voice. We were both laughing when something caught Teddy's attention over my shoulder. She waved someone over. I glanced over my shoulder, my laughter dying as I saw the object of my most recent thoughts making her way over to us. I couldn't stop the smile from forming on my lips.

"Hey," Arizona greeted as she set her tray on the table next to mine. She slid into the vacant seat and I had to fight the urge to not scoot my chair closer.

"Hey," I replied, feeling like a teenaged girl with a crush on the star of the football team. Or in this case, the captain of the cheerleading squad.

"Feeling more awake?" Arizona asked.

"Huh?"

"The coffee," she replied taking a sip of her drink.

"Oh, right, yeah, much better," I fumbled out. "Thanks again."

Teddy just watched our interaction with a narrowed gaze, then checked her watch. "Oh, would you look at that?" she said. "I need to go prep for my next surgery. See you guys later."

"Bye Teddy," Arizona called after her. Then she turned back to me and smiled. "Anything interesting today?"

I tilted my head and contemplated my next words, wondering if I'd sound more like an admirer or a stalker. I decided to go for it. What the hell, right? "Well, I was wandering by the OR galleries today and happened to see your surgery through an open door, so I decided to stay and watch a while," I told her. "You have amazing technique."

She raised her eyebrows and took another sip of her drink, making me wish I was the straw she was wrapping her lips around.

Shit! I needed to stop thinking like that. I forced myself to look away and cleared my throat.

"That was the least of my 'technique,' Callie," Arizona said.

I glanced over at her, wondering if she'd meant that to be as sexually-laced as it rang in my ears, but she was all innocence, taking a bite of her lunch, not even looking at me. I let out a long breath, trying to gain control of my libido.

I cleared my throat again, taking a sip of my own water. "So, how are your nieces?" I asked, needed the subject to be changed to something decidedly less sexy, inadvertently or not.

Arizona smiled at the mention of the twins. "A handful, as always. Emma's acting out for attention and Abby barely speaks to anyone. Just last night-" She stopped abruptly and shook her head. "I'm sorry. You were just being polite and don't really want to hear about this." She gave a forced chuckle that I found incredibly endearing. "I just get so caught up in talking about them that I say more than I should."

I chuckled. "It's okay. I wouldn't have asked if I really didn't care. I love kids and your nieces are adorable. Now, you were saying about last night?"

Arizona gave me a dimpled smile and I nearly swooned. "You're pretty unique, you know that?"

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I asked cautiously.

"Oh, it's definitely a good thing," she said, grinning from ear to ear, then suddenly, her grin fell. She chewed on her bottom lip, effectively driving me insane. "Or, it's a really bad thing," she muttered under her breath, but I still heard it.

"Why is it bad?"

She looked at me with sad eyes. "Um, I just meant, well… look, Callie, I like you and I'm pretty sure you return that feeling. And we both know I'm not just talking about friendship."

I gave a slight nod, not seeing the point in denying my feelings.

"That's the bad thing," Arizona said. I knit my brow at that, giving her a confused look. She sighed. "Callie, I can't get involved with anyone right now. And I know, I've been flirting like crazy with you and I'm sorry about that. I couldn't help myself because you're so… wonderful. And hot. But I just gained custody of my dead brother's kids. They need stability right now and me starting to date someone now is only going to mess that stability up." She gathered her things and stood, picking up her tray. "I'm sorry. I hope you'd still consider being friend because I do want you in my life. As a friend. But that's all we could be." Before I could say anything, she held up her hand. "Just think about it." And with that, she walked away.

I would have been mad had it not been for the pained expression on her face. And that she was only worried about her nieces. How could I argue with her about that?

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** As always, let me know what you think. :)


	5. Lunchtime

**Title:** Double Trouble (5/?)

**Chapter:** Lunchtime

**Author: **laurenxx3 (iheartcallietorres on ff)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating:** PG-13 [subject to change]

**Summary:** AU, but still canon-ish - Arizona moves to Seattle after her brother's death to be closer to her parents and her nieces, six-year-old twins, who she has gained custody of. Callie loves kids, but can she handle Arizona's double trouble twin nieces?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely **NO **medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-beta'd, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any, but I'm pretty OCD about grammar and spelling, so there shouldn't be too many mistakes. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

**A/N2**: I'm less than thrilled with this chapter, but I wanted to post something before y'all started to riot. Sorry this chapter took so long-I've been sick the past several days (walking pneumonia) so I haven't really felt like writing. Anyway, I'm feeling a lot better now and I hope you enjoy this next installment. :)

* * *

><p><em>[Arizona's POV]<em>

I hurried out of the cafeteria, a knot forming in my stomach. I felt bad for flirting and then telling her we couldn't be anything more than friends. But I had to protect my nieces. I know I shouldn't have even flirted with her at all, but I couldn't help myself. She was so beautiful and caring…

I hurried to the Peds wing, a hailstorm of emotions suddenly overcoming me. I'm not one to let others see my emotions, so I quickly made my way to my office, shutting and locking the door behind me. I leaned back against the heavy wooden door, letting my head fall back against the cold surface. I took a deep, shuddering breath in attempt to control my tears, but I failed as one fell down my cheek.

I angrily swiped it away with my fingers, sniffling loudly. I stalked over to my desk, sitting heavily in the chair and plucking a tissue out of the box. I blew my nose and tossed the tissue into the wastebasket. I took another deep breath and managed to gain a hold of my emotions and blink away the tears. I've always hated hurting anyone in any way. I especially hated the idea of hurting Callie.

But I had to protect Abby and Emma.

I kept repeating that in my head as I worked on some paperwork to keep me from going and finding Callie to tell her I was wrong. I needed to stay strong about this. I could do this. I just needed to keep thinking about Abby and Emma. Abby and Emma. Abby and Emma.

I let out a long, slow breath, finally feeling like I'd gained control of my emotions.

I can do this.

Piece of cake.

Finally confident in my self control, I filed away the paperwork and made my way to the Peds wing, intent on rounding one last time before heading home. I'd barely made it to the Peds wing when my pager sounded, my services needed in the ER.

I sighed and quickly made my way there, the resident manning the desk pointing me to a teenaged girl experiencing abdominal pain. "Dr. Grey?" I acknowledged the younger of the half-sisters.

"Kelly Walters, sixteen year old female with high fever and pain and tenderness over McBurney's point," Lexie filled me in.

I nodded and turned to the girl who's face was contorted in pain. "I'm Doctor Robbins, Kelly. Can I check your abdomen?"

She nodded and I palpitated her stomach, noticing her sharp intake of breath when I pressed over her appendix. "Looks like appendicitis. We're going to have to get it out as soon as possible." I glanced up at the older woman standing on the other side of the bed, looking concerned. "Are you her mother?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Grandmother, but I've raised her since she was three."

I nodded. "Nurse, take Mrs…"

"Landers," the woman supplied.

"Take Mrs. Landers to fill out the consent forms." The nurse nodded and led the woman away to fill out the paperwork. I turned my attention back to Lexie. "Call down to get an OR ready."

I smiled at the girl. "We're going to take good care of you, okay?" She nodded. "Give her 10 of morphine," I said to another nurse after checking her chart for allergies.

"Dr. Robbins," Lexie called over. "OR three in fifteen minutes." I nodded.

I was just about to try and make conversation with the girl to take her mind off the pain when a melodic laugh distracted me. I glanced up to see Callie talking with an elderly gentleman. She was smiling and he was obviously flirting with her. I couldn't the smile from forming on my lips at how she put him at ease by chatting with him. I couldn't make out what was being said, but they seemed to enjoy their conversation as Callie checked out his arm, which appeared to be broken. The way she interacted with the elderly man old enough to be her grandfather warmed my heart and had me second guessing my earlier resolve to just be friends.

Damn it, this wasn't going to be as easy as I originally thought, was it?

I forced myself to redirect my attention to the teenaged girl, grateful when the OR was finally ready and we could leave the ER. The procedure went smoothly without a single hitch and I was done within forty-five minutes.

My shift was officially over and I quickly scrubbed out, wanting to get home as quick as possible. I had an overwhelming need to see the twins.

"Auntie Zo's home!" I heard from inside the house as I walked up the front stairs. I smiled broadly and unlocked the door, ready for the onslaught of tiny hands and arms. I immediately stooped down and hugged them closely, finally remembering why I'd told Callie I couldn't start a relationship with her. Abby and Emma were still reeling from losing their father and moving across the country. Abby barely talked and Emma acted out for attention. They were not in a place to receive change well. And my getting involved with Callie would be a change. A big change.

I pulled back and gave them each a kiss on the forehead. "What have you two been up to today?" I asked.

"Nana took us to the zoo!" Emma exclaimed.

"She did?" I responded, acting surprised even though I'd know that was the plan all along. "And what did you see at the zoo?" I asked as I took their hands and led them into the living room where I knew my mother would be.

"We saw monkeys and elephants and, oh! We saw a lion!" Emma jumped a few times and I had to laugh at her enthusiasm. "He was big and had a lot of hair around his neck."

I chuckled and led them to the couch. "Hey, Mom," I greeted as I sat heavily on the couch, right between the twins.

"Hi, honey," she said, coming over to kiss the top of my head. "Long day?"

"Hmm, yeah," I responded around a yawn. "Sorry I'm late. I was pulled into surgery just as I was about to leave."

"No worries, dear," my mother said, pulling her coat out of the hall closet. "The girls already eaten and there's leftovers in the fridge. And I've already given them their bath, too."

"Thanks," I said, standing to give her a hug. The twins mirrored my action, and she left. I sat back on the couch and the twins cuddled close. "Alright, ladies. You have half an hour until bedtime. What do you want to do?"

"Candy Land!" Emma shouted. It was her favorite board game and she asked to play it at least once a day.

"How about you, Abby? Does Candy Land sound like a good idea?" Abby nodded. It was her favorite, too.

::*::*::*::

_[Callie's POV]_

I pouted slightly as I studied my options in front of me. Did I go semi-healthy and choose the wheat thins or splurge on the less healthy option of a strawberry pop tart? Decisions, decisions.

Ah, the hell with it. I deposited the coins and pressed B7 on the vending machine, my pick falling from it's place. I reached in and grabbed the foil-wrapped pastry, content with my decision.

I sat at the table in the lounge, coffee in one hand, pop tart in the other as I tried to focus on the medical journal in front of me. My mind, however, had other ideas and images of a perky blonde with blue eyes and adorable dimples kept infiltrating my thoughts, along with two mini versions of said blonde. I finally gave up on the article when I found myself rereading the same sentence ten times without comprehending it.

I sighed and closed the journal, tossing it aside as I stretched backwards. The words Arizona had said the day before swam through my head on a constant loop. The dreaded f-word. _Friend_.

I understand her reasons, but to be completely honest, I was a bit angry. Angry because she'd kind of led me on. Kind of. She hadn't kissed me or done anything other than flirt to get my hopes up. Some people were just flirtatious. _I_ was flirtatious.

Could I really be mad at her for flirting? It's not like she slept with me before saying we could only be friends.

I groaned at that mental image. The one of us sleeping together. Her lips against mine, her… naked… skin brushing my own… Damn it, that's so not what I need right now!

I stood, anxious to find something, anything, to take my mind off the blonde. I had to for my sanity's sake.

"Callie!" I heard as I left the lounge intent on finding some kickass surgery to bury myself in. I turned to see Teddy hurrying towards me. Before I could respond, she grabbed my arm and pulled me down the hall.

"Whoa, what's going on, Ted?"

Teddy looked around, then pushed me into an empty on call room, shutting the door behind us. I started at her. "Um, I really like you, Teddy, but I don't feel _that_ way about you," I teased.

Teddy glared at me. "Not funny, Callie! Can't you see I'm having a crisis here?"

My grin immediately fell. "Sorry," I said, taking her arm and making her sit on the edge of one of the tiny beds. "What's wrong?"

Teddy buried her face in her hands, shaking her head as sobs wracked her entire body. "I did something stupid," she cried out. I immediately sat beside her, rubbing circles across her back in attempt to calm her down.

"I'm sure it wasn't as bad as you think," I said in a soft voice, wondering what had her so upset.

She looked up, eyes red. "I fucked a married man."

My eyes widened in shock.

"I didn't know he was married until afterwards," she rushed to finish. "When his _wife_ walked in on us… in _their_ bed." Her shoulders shook with new sobs and I wrapped an arm around her.

"Oh, Teddy," I sighed out.

"I didn't know," she repeated. "I would never sleep with a married man. That's not me!"

"I know, sweetie," I reassured her. "I know. Tell me what happened?"

Teddy sat up and wiped under her eyes. "Remember that guy from the bar? Henry?"

"The cute one from a few nights ago who you talked to for hours?"

Teddy nodded. "Yeah, him. He called yesterday and asked if I wanted to get together again for dinner and drinks. He seemed so nice and I really thought we were connecting… He took me to Di Angelo's and then to Joe's for drinks. He said all the right things to get into my pants and I totally fell for it. I'm such an idiot." She covered her face again.

"Oh, Teddy, you're not the idiot in this situation," I said, my blood boiling at the thought of some jerk hurting my best friend.

"But I am!" she cried out. "What's worse is that his wife came home while we were sleeping… after. Apparently, she decided to come home from her business trip early as a surprise. But the surprise was on her, right? God, I feel like such a slut."

"Hey! Don't call my best friend a slut!" I forced her to look at me. "He's the slut, okay? Not you. How were you supposed to know he was married?"

Teddy shook her head. "I felt horrible," she whispered. "The wife was understandably upset and started yelling at him… I just got dressed as quickly as I could and left. I came here and immediately found you."

It was then that I realized she was still dressed in a rather sexy black dress with killer heels.

"He's an ass, Teddy," I said, rubbing her back.

"And I fell for it," she muttered. "I'm starting to think you have the right idea."

"Right idea?"

"Becoming a lesbian. Maybe I should find a woman to love."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Oh, honey, you know you're straighter than the Pope."

Teddy sighed. "Yeah, I know. But guys are all asses."

"They're not _all_ asses, Teddy. Just the ones you fall for." She glared at me and I shrugged. "Can you really argue with me on that?"

She sighed and shook her head. "This would never happen to you."

I snorted. "Only because two women can't legally marry in Washington," I pointed out. "It would just be an angry girlfriend as opposed to a wife. It could happen to anyone, Teddy, gay or straight. Lesbians cheat on each other, too."

Teddy sniffled loudly. "I know you're only trying to help, but that's not really making me feel any better." She shook her head. "Maybe I'll just live vicariously through your love life."

I snorted again. "What love life?"

"What about your hot Peds surgeon?"

I smiled sadly. "Hmm, well yesterday she spent the entire day flirting with me only to turn around and say she can't get involved with anyone right now."

Teddy sat up straighter. "Wait, really?"

I nodded. "And now she's avoiding me."

"Ouch," Teddy said, wincing.

"Hmm, yeah. So you're not the only one with a sucky love life, okay?"

She nodded and the shrill ring of my pager sounded, startling us both. I sighed as I checked it. "I'm sorry; I have to go."

She nodded. "It's okay. I'm just going to go home and curl up in bed for a while."

"My shift ends at 6. Want me to come over afterwards?"

She shook her head. "My shift _starts_ at 6. But thanks. I'll be okay."

"You sure?"

She nodded and stood. "Yeah," she said in a determined voice. "At least I got a good lay out of him first, right?"

I laughed. "That's the Teddy I know and love. I'll see you later."

I answered my page, then made my way to the cafeteria after a grueling five hour surgery on a middle aged daredevil wannabe. The man, obviously having a midlife crisis, had decided it would be a good idea to attempt to ride his motorcycle off a ramp over a car. His stunt had landed him in the back of an ambulance with both legs completely shattered. He would have to undergo several more surgeries, at least four more on each leg, for me to fully fix his mangled bones and even then it wasn't completely certain whether he'd ever be able to walk again.

Shaking my head at the man's utter idiocy, I grabbed a tray and wrinkled my nose at the food options in front of me. Remembering the pop tart I'd indulged in earlier, I opted for the healthier option of a salad. The amount of dressing I'd have to put on it to make it edible probably counteracted the healthiness of my choice, but at least I could pretend to be healthy, right? I grabbed a bottled water and three packs of Italian dressing, then paid for my unappetizing lunch.

Knowing Teddy wasn't in the hospital and Mark was in surgery, I debated just taking my lunch to an empty lounge. Before I could make up my mind, a tiny voice stopped me.

"Hey, it's Dr. Callie!"

I glanced over my shoulder and noticed a blond headed child standing on the chair of the table a few feet away, waving at me. Emma, I assumed. I also noticed her sister, Abby, and Arizona at the table, along with an older woman that I guessed was Arizona's mom.

I smiled softly and waved, then turned to leave the cafeteria.

"Wait! Dr. Callie!" I turned back and watched in amusement as Arizona, who was sitting in the seat next to the one in which Emma stood, tried to get Emma to sit in the chair. But Emma had better ideas and jumped off the chair, skipping over to me, her blonde pigtails bouncing with each hop.

"Emma, get back here!" I heard Arizona hiss after the little girl, but I ignored her and crouched down to be on eye level with her as she skidded to a stop in front of me.

Balancing my tray on my knee with one hand, I reached up and held out my hand, palm up for her to slap with her own in a classic high five.

"Hi Dr. Callie!" Emma said, her enthusiasm at seeing me warming my heart a bit.

"Why, hello there," I said. "Any daring escape attempts lately?"

The girl shook her head, sending her pigtails bouncing. "Nope, no 'scape attempts," she said, then smiled, showing off her missing teeth.

"Emma Grace," I heard Arizona say from the table, voice laced with warning.

Emma glanced over her shoulder to her aunt, the glanced back at me, a thoughtful look on her cherubic features. Then her face lit up as an idea obviously crossed her mind. She reached out and grabbed my free hand, pulling me behind her as she turned to walk back to the table. "Come eat with us!" Emma demanded. I couldn't even protest before we stood by the table. I glanced at Arizona, who had an apologetic expression on her face.

"Emma, I'm sure Callie has better things to do than eat with us," Arizona said softly, urging her niece back into her chair.

I decided to humor Emma and placed my tray on the table. "Nope, I'm free at the moment."

Emma smiled smugly and even Abby offered a shy smile, though she scooted a bit closer to her grandmother's side. I shifted my attention to the older woman and smiled. "Hi, I'm Callie Torres," I said.

She smiled at me and offered her hand for me to shake. "Barbara Robbins," she replied. "Callie? You're the one that discovered these two Houdinis when they escaped from the daycare?"

I chuckled and nodded. "That was me," I confirmed. "There I was in the lounge, just minding my own business when I heard this one," I indicated Emma, "giggling from under a table."

"Emma? Giggling? Never!"

I chuckled at Barbara's mock surprise at the idea of Emma giggling. I cast a glance over to Arizona and caught her studying me closely, a look of concentration on her face. She looked down at her own salad when she saw my gaze shift to her and I found myself wondering what she'd been thinking about.

"Dr. Callie?"

I returned my focus to Emma. "Yes?"

"Do you have kids?"

"Emma," Arizona chided.

"It's alright," I insisted. "Nope, I don't have any kids."

Emma stuck her bottom lip out in a pout. "Awe, I was hoping you did so we could have someone to play with."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find some kids to play with when you start school in August," I said.

I hadn't noticed Barbara watching my interaction with Emma, but she suddenly spoke up. "Arizona, why don't you ask Callie?" I heard her say.

I glanced up to see Arizona's eyes widen. "Oh, no, I'm sure she's too busy."

"Too busy to do what?" I asked. "It's not like my social life is booming right now." I couldn't help the tiny dig, feeling a bit better at Arizona's small huff.

Barbara ignored her daughter. "Well, Arizona's father and I usually watch the girls when Arizona's has to work a night shift, but we have tickets to a play Friday night when Arizona is working until midnight. Are you working tomorrow night?"

"Mom," Arizona warned.

"No, ma'am," I said, ignoring Arizona. I knew what was coming and actually felt myself wanting to accept the task.

"Do you have plans, then? Because I know Arizona would be grateful if you could watch the girls."

"Mom, I already said-"

"I'd be happy to," I said before Arizona could finish. Arizona started at me, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"Good!" Barbara said, clapping her hands together. "Then it's settled."

Emma was excited to hear the news and couldn't stop bouncing in her seat, already listing off the activities we could partake in. I couldn't help but smile at her excitement. I glanced over at Abby, who was looking at me with an intensity that reminded me so much of her aunt. "What do you say, Abby? Want to hang out with me tomorrow?" She was silent for a moment, gave me a small smile and a tentative nod. I let out a breath in relief.

I looked back up at Arizona and noticed her heave a sigh. "Well, if you're sure…"

I nodded. "Of course. What are friends for?" I needed her to know that I still wanted to be friends. Even if I couldn't be with her romantically, I needed to be around her. The alternative was not an option for me. I knew it would be crazy hard to be around her an keep my mind off jumping her bones, but it was worth it.

Arizona softened at my use of 'friends,' her shoulders visibly relaxing and her lips turning into a sad smile as she poked uselessly at her salad with her fork.

Barbara glanced at her watch and started gathering up her lunch tray. "I think it's time we let Auntie Zo and Callie get back to their work, girls," she said. After saying goodbye to both Arizona and I, the three left the cafeteria, leaving Arizona and I alone.

I cleared my throat and slid my tray to Emma's abandoned seat next to Arizona, moving to sit next to her. "Look, about what you said yesterday-"

"I'm really sorry," Arizona rushed. "I didn't mean to be a tease. I just, I couldn't help myself around you."

"Arizona, it's okay," I insisted, cutting off her rant. "I understand. I know you need to focus on your nieces right now. I get it. I also wasn't lying when I said I still wanted to be friends. I hope you were serious about that."

"Of course I was," Arizona said. "I'd love to have you as a friend. I still feel kind of like the new kid here."

"I'm sure you'll be fine," I reassured her. "Especially with me as a friend." I winked and she laughed. I had to remind myself to not touch her or think of her as anything other than a friend. A difficult task, indeed.

A silence fell over us as we each kept eating our lunched, not completely comfortable, but not awkward either. It was more like we were both lost in our own thoughts. Finally, Arizona's pager went off, ending our silence. She glanced at it, then gave me an apologetic look. "Duty calls," she said, standing. "I'll call you to work out the details for tomorrow later this evening."

I nodded and watched her leave the cafeteria. Once she was gone, I lowered my head to the table and groaned softly. What the hell had I gotten myself into? This was going to be one of the hardest things I've ever done.

::*::*::*::

_[Arizona's POV]_

I stared at my cell phone in my hand, my thumb hovering over the 'call' button. I didn't know why I was so nervous. I was just calling her to discuss tomorrow night, not making a date! This 'just friends' things was going to difficult. Very difficult.

I sat heavily on the armchair in the living room, glad the twins were already in bed for the evening and couldn't see my nervousness. I ran a hand through my hair and blew out a quick breath. "Okay, I can do this," I said to myself. "It's just a phone call. I call people all the time."

Mind made up, I hit the 'call' button and brought my iPhone to my ear, listening as it rang. After four rings I started to think she wasn't going to answer when she did, sounding out of breath. "Hello?"

"Hi, Callie? It's Arizona."

"Oh, hey," she responded. "Sorry, you caught me in the shower."

I silenced my groan as I fell back against the cushions of the chair, eyes closed at the image of Callie in the shower, water sluicing over her very naked body… Focus! I ordered myself, clearing my throat.

"No, I'm sorry, then," I said with an awkward laugh. I cleared my throat again. "I'll be quick then. What time does your sift end tomorrow?"

"Five," she responded.

"Okay, um, it would probably be easiest if you came over here," I said, swinging my legs over the side of the couch, feeling like a teenaged girl again. "You know, since all they're stuff is here and they'll have to go to bed before I get home…"

Callie laughed. "That's fine, Arizona," she insisted. "Probably for the best. My roommate will be home tomorrow evening and, well, she's not exactly a kid person."

"Your roommate?" I hadn't realized she lived with someone.

"Yeah, Cristina Yang?"

"Wait, you're roommates with Yang?" I asked, shocked.

Callie laughed again, the melodic sound making me inhale deeply. "Yeah, I know. But she's not so bad once you get used to her."

"If you say so," I said. "Anyway, my mom wants to leave about six tomorrow. Could you be here a few minutes before then?"

"Sure," Callie said. "Will I need to make them dinner?"

"No," I responded. "My mom will make it before she leaves and there will be plenty for you. Do you like lasagna?"

"Love it," she responded. "Anything else I need to know?"

"Um, well, you should probably know where we live," I said with a laugh.

"Right, what's your address? I can just put it into my GPS."

I gave her the address, then went through a list of what she'd need to do. Things like bedtime, what they can watch on TV, how much TV they can watch, etc.

"Arizona, you sound like an overprotective mother," she finally said after I lectured her about the dos and don'ts of the twins' oral hygiene.

I sighed. "Sorry, I just haven't had to leave them with anyone other than my parents or the day care."

"It's okay. But I've babysat before. My sister has four kids under the age of eight and she leaves them with me 24-7 whenever I'm in Miami. Trust me, I've encountered it all."

I couldn't help but smile. "I trust you," I said. "I promise. And they really do like you." After making sure everything was settled, we said our goodbyes. I disconnected the call and placed my iPhone on my chest, laying my head back against the arm of the chair. I took a deep breath and wondered how long I'd be able to keep up this 'just friends' thing.


	6. Babysitting

**Title:** Double Trouble (6/?)

**Chapter:** Babysitting

**Author: **laurenxx3 (iheartcallietorres on ff)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating:** NC-17

**Summary:** AU, but still canon-ish - Arizona moves to Seattle after her brother's death to be closer to her parents and her nieces, six-year-old twins, who she has gained custody of. Callie loves kids, but can she handle Arizona's double trouble twin nieces?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely **NO **medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-beta'd, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any, but I'm pretty OCD about grammar and spelling, so there shouldn't be too many mistakes. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

**A/N2**: Any Junie B. Jones fans out there? I loved those books when I was Abby and Emma's ago, so I had to include them in this chapter. :) Also, please note the rating change. I decided to up the rating just in case. Don't get _too_ excited about it, though. lol

* * *

><p><em>[Callie's POV]<em>

I had to admit that I was more than a little nervous as I pulled into the driveway of a two story house that wasn't too large, nor too small. Perfect for Arizona and her two little nieces. The front yard was nicely kept and featured a large tree complete with a tire swing. The house sat on about two acres of land and, though I hadn't seen the backyard, I could only assume it was a nice as the front yard.

I pulled my car next to the minivan that was already parked in the driveway, which I presumed was Barbara's, and exited the vehicle. It was ten to six. Perfect, I thought.

My nerves were more about the fact that these were Arizona's nieces than the actual babysitting. I hadn't been lying when I'd told Arizona that I babysat my sister's kids all the time when I was home in Miami. I loved kids and they seemed to love me. And it was obvious Emma had taken a liking to me. Abby seemed a bit more reserved, but I knew she already had a soft spot for me.

I climbed the stairs to the front door and rang the doorbell, waiting patiently. I heard shuffling on the other side of the door and the curtain on the side window moved to reveal a blonde head, followed by a bright smile with missing teeth.

"It's Dr. Callie!" I heard one of the twins, presumably Emma, shout from the inside. A few moments later, I heard the door being unlocked and it swung open, revealing Barbara and both of the girls.

"Callie, hi," Barbara greeted me, stepping aside to allow me to enter the house. The inside was a lot like the outside: neat and tidy, but full of personality. "Thank you so much for agreeing to watch the girls tonight," Barbara continued as she shut the door behind me.

"No problem," I said with a smile. I looked down at the girls. Emma was already tugging on the bottom of my shirt to get my attention while Abby was hiding behind her grandmother. "What do you say, girls? Are you ready to have fun tonight?"

"Yeah!" Emma yelled a bit too loudly, then pulled me towards the kitchen. "Auntie Zo said you'd probably play some games with us!"

I laughed. "Sure I will," I said, trying to take in the décor of the house around me while still listening to the small girl.

Barbara and Abby followed us into the kitchen. I looked around, noticing a shelf on the far end loaded with crayons, coloring books and other craft supplies. It seemed that the kitchen table was where the twins did most of their art projects. I smiled when I noticed the half-colored pages already on the table.

"The lasagna is already cooled and ready whenever you are," Barbara said, gathering her purse.

"Thank you so much," I said to her. "And don't worry; Arizona gave me yours and the Colonel's cell numbers in case of an emergency."

Barbara chuckled. "I'm sure you'll be fine," she said. "And Arizona told me to tell you that you're welcome to any of the food and drinks in the house if you need a snack later on. Oh, and feel free to watch any of the DVD's, though they're mostly Disney movies."

I chuckled. "Thanks," I said.

"Okay, well, I think that's all. You girls behave for Callie, okay?"

"Yes, nana," Emma said as she gave her grandmother a hug.

"Yes, nana," Abby echoed, albeit quite a bit softer than Emma, then hugged her grandmother. It was the first time I'd actually heard her speak at all.

"Alright, ladies," I said after Barbara had left. "Are you ready for some dinner?"

"Yes!" Emma cried out. "Nana's lasagna is the best!"

"Okay, Abby, are you hungry?"

Abby nodded.

"Good," I said. "I'm starving. Where are the plates and silverware?"

"The plates are in that cabinet," Emma said, pointing to the cabinet by the refrigerator. "I'll get the forks."

I reached up and grabbed three plates, half expecting them to have Disney characters on them, but they were simple ceramic. "And cups?" I asked as I placed the three plates on the table, each in front of a different chair.

Abby pointed to another cabinet closer to the stove where the pasta dish sat on to of to cool. I grabbed three glasses, two colorful plastic ones and a real glass one for me. "Your Auntie Zo said you could have milk or water with dinner. What will it be?"

Emma thought for a second. "Can I have chocolate milk?" she asked.

I shook my head. "That wasn't on the list. Milk or water?" I almost thought she was about to protest and whine, but she shrugged.

"Milk," she finally answered.

"Abby? You want milk too?"

She nodded and I poured milk into all three glasses. "Alright, where should I sit?"

"Here in the middle," Emma ordered, pulling out the chair. After I deposited the glasses of milk, I went to get the lasagna dish, testing the handles first and finding them cool to the touch. I placed the large dish in the center of the table and dished some out for each of us.

We spent dinner chatting. Well, Emma and I chatted. Abby only answered my questions with one or two word answers. I wasn't fazed in the least, though. She was opening up more than she was the day before she didn't say a single word to me.

After we all finished dinner and the table was cleared, which both Abby and Emma insisted on helping me do, I quickly rinsed off the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. I glanced out the window over the sink, noting the back yard. I was right; it, too, was nearly kept and sported a swing set, a shed and, my personal favorite, a large in ground pool complete with a diving board.

I grinned, imagining Arizona enjoying the cool water, swimming laps or just relaxing on one of those floating lounger things… in a bikini.

Snap out of it! I commanded myself, feeling my cheeks flush at the mental picture.

I shook my head and backed away from the window, turning to the twins in the living room where they were engrossed in an episode of Wizards of Waverly Place, at least that's what Emma said. She explained the basic plot of the show and I pretended to be in awe of the teenaged wizard played by Selena Gomez, who I was only aware of because my seven year old niece was obsessed with her and I'd bought her a Selena Gomez CD for her birthday a few weeks ago.

I studied the girls as they watched. They seemed incredibly close to one another, one never leaving the room without the other. When Emma needed the restroom, Abby insisted on following her so she could go too. And when Abby wanted a drink of water, Emma was on her tale to the kitchen. I knew it was most likely because they'd lost their father so recently and clung to each other because of that. It was pretty adorable, but I found myself worrying about what would happen when they started school in August. There's no way they'd be allowed in the same class. They'd be split up for sure.

"Dr. Callie, can we play Candy Land?" Emma asked as the episode ended.

"Sure we can, if Abby wants to play, too?"

Abby nodded enthusiastically, so we set up the game and played.

"Ah, no fair!" I cried out in mock jealously a few minutes later when Abby drew a card that sent her to a space close to the finish like. Abby giggle and moved her red piece. I fake sighed heavily and drew a card showing a purple square. "That's only three spaces!" I whined. Then I smiled and moved my piece. "Go ahead, Emma."

Emma reached out and drew her card, smiling in triumph when she was able to move half way to the finish line. The game continued with Abby winning, no surprise there, then Emma insisting that we "play for second place." I nearly caught up to Emma, but she managed to snag second place by a hair and she threw her fists into the air in celebration.

I clapped my hands and asked if they wanted to play again, both of them shaking their headed in denial. "Can we watch a movie?" Abby asked, amazing me with her full sentence question.

"I, uh, yeah, sure," I stuttered out. "What do you want to watch?"

I turns out that when Abby and Emma are fighting, Abby says a lot more than two words. I found that out when Abby wanted to watch Up! and Emma wanted to watch Cars. But I managed to staunch the fight from progressing any further when I told them that whoever didn't get to pick the movie would get to pick the bedtime story that Arizona told me the like to have read to them before bed. Abby finally relented, immediately telling me that she wanted to read a few chapters from a book series called "Junie B. Jones."

We settled in to watch Cars, me in the center of the couch with the girls laying on their stomachs on the floor, chins propped on their hands. I was grateful that I'd made sure to note who was wearing what earlier because they definitely looked exactly alike. They both wore the same jean shorts but their shirts, while the same style, were different colors. Abby's was a bright pink was Emma's was a baby blue. I could already tell that Abby's favorite color was pink and Emma's was blue.

As the closing credits began to roll, I glanced at the clock. "Alright, ladies, it's time for a bath, then bed."

Emma whined a bit, begging me to let them stay up a little bit longer.

"If I break your aunt's rules, I'll never be able to babysit you again, you know," I pointed out, hands on my hips.

Emma seemed to mull over her thoughts for a moment, gnawing on her lower lip in a gesture that I immediately recognized as an Arizona trait. "Can you babysit us tomorrow night?" she asked after a moment.

I felt my heart swell and a knot form in my throat at those words. "You want me to come back tomorrow?" I asked, voice tinged with my unshed tears.

Emma nodded. "Sure! We like you, don't we Abby?"

Abby, who was standing right beside her sister looking up at me with her big blue eyes, nodded enthusiastically without hesitation. I sat down on the edge of the armchair and motioned them to stand in front of me. I gave them a big smile. "Well, you know what? I like you, too. Both of you."

"So you'll come back tomorrow?" Abby asked, surprising me again.

I gave a soft laugh. "Oh, sweetheart, I wish I could but I'm sure your aunt wants some alone time with you, just the three of you. I know she wishes she could spend more time with you."

Emma stuck her bottom lip out in the most adorable pout I'd ever seen. "We'd still be spending time with her," she reasoned. "Just with you, too! Please?"

I tried to think about how I could get out of this. It's not that I didn't _want_ to come back the following day. I'd love to spend more time with the girls that had already stolen my heart, all _three_ of them. I just didn't want to impose upon Arizona's time with her nieces.

I gave them a small smile. "I'll ask your aunt what she thinks, but I'm sure she'd rather it just be the three of you."

"Promise?" Emma asked.

"Promise what?"

"Promise that you'll ask her?"

Damn, my plan was foiled. I couldn't lie to her sweet face. I sighed. "Alright, I promise I'll ask her. But I'm not promising that I'll be here tomorrow, okay?"

They both nodded.

"And you both have to promise me something in return," I said. "You have to promise me that if I can't come over tomorrow, you won't whine or be mad at your aunt, okay?"

"Okay," they both muttered.

"Alright, now it's time for your baths," I said, standing and taking their hands to lead them up the stairs. "Now, do you normally take baths together?" I asked as we entered the bathroom connected to their bedroom.

They nodded and I turned on the water, adjusting the temperature to a warm, but not too hot, flow.

"And does your aunt usually stay in here with you or do you take baths by yourselves?"

"She stays," Emma said, tugging at the hem of her t-shirt, struggling a bit to pull it off over her head. I chuckled and gave her a hand, tugging the fabric off. "She says she's still worried that we may drowned ourselves, even though we both know how to swim."

I chuckled. "She's just making sure you're safe," I said, helping Abby undo the stubborn snap of her shorts.

After making sure they were squeaky clean (and after a bubble war that resulted in a soaked floor), I helped them dry off and dress in their pajamas. While they stood on the step stool in front of the sink to brush their teeth, I found a discarded towel and mopped up the water from the floor, wringing the excess water out over the tub.

"Okay, I believe that Abby has the privilege of choosing the story," I said as I entered the room to find both twins sitting on a padded bench beneath the large picture window that faced the backyard.

Abby held out a book and I took it before sitting between them. I looked at the cover. "Junie B. Jones and the Mushy, Gushy Valentine," I read aloud.

"Yeah, they're Abby's favorite," Emma said with a roll of her eyes. "I like the Arthur books better."

"Arthur is good," I said, recalling the aardvark with glasses from my childhood days. "But the deal was that you chose the movie and Abby chose the book," I reminded her.

I read them two chapters, the amount they said that Arizona would read to them every night, then helped them climb into their own beds. "Goodnight, Abby," I said, kissing the shy girl's forehead. I started to pull back but was surprised to find resistance. Abby had reached out her arms to link around my neck. I grinned and hugged her back.

"Goodnight, Dr. Callie," she whispered, letting go.

After saying goodnight to Emma and giving her a hug, I snapped off the lights and closed the door, leaning back against it momentarily in attempt to calm my emotions. Never had I thought I'd be so utterly entranced by Arizona's nieces. They already had me wrapped around their little fingers.

I shook my head and made my way back down the hallway, stopping briefly to peak into an open door. Inside, the room was decorated with dark wood furniture with a large sleigh bed dominating the room topped with a fluffy looking quilt. The subtle personal touches-the photos, the knickknacks, the extensive CD collection-led me to think that this was Arizona's bedroom.

I felt like a bit of a creeper as I studied the room, but rationalized that she'd left eh door open. I wouldn't go inside the room, but I could look from the hallway, right?

Then I pictured Arizona in the bed, surrounded by that fluffy quilt and the abundant pillows and I had to force myself to look away and return downstairs. If I was going to go along with this 'just friends' things, I was going to have to do a better job of thinking of her a _just_ a friend. And nothing more.

I sighed. Most difficult thing ever.

::*::*::*::

_[Arizona's POV]_

"Hello?" I called out softly as I opened the front door. It was a little past midnight. There was no response, but I noticed the glow of the TV coming from the living room. I placed my purse on the table by the door and made my way into the living room. The TV was on, an episode of Friends playing, but Callie was nowhere to be seen. I took a few more steps into the living room, stopping when I finally spotted her. She lay on the couch, fast asleep with a throw cover wrapped around her.

I grinned at the sight of her asleep. She lay on her side, her head supported by the cushiony arm of the couch and her knees bent to accommodate her long form. Her hand was curled into her chest and rested just below her chin. Her lips was slightly parted.

I rounded the couch and reached out carefully to gently shake her shoulder. "Callie, wake up," I said. I hated to wake her because she looked so peaceful, but I knew she'd probably be more comfortable in her own bed than on my cramped couch.

Callie jerked awake, eyes snapping open as she sat up slightly. She looked around for a moment, trying to gather her bearings. "Wha- Oh, Arizona. Hey." She sat up fully and pushed the blanket off her lap. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep," she said sheepishly.

I chuckled. "It's alright," I said. "It's late. How were the girls?"

"Good," she said around a yawn. "No problems at all. We ate dinner, played a few exciting rounds of Candyland, then watched Cars. By the time it was over, it was time for their bath, then bed."

I sat in the chair adjacent to the couch. "Good," I said. "Thank you again for watching them. I know my mother was on the verge of cancelling her night with my father."

"It was no problem, really," she insisted. "It saved me from a rather exciting night of sitting in front of the TV watching a Lifetime movie marathon."

"What? No hot date?" I teased, feeling my jealousy rise at even the thought of her going on a date with another woman. Stop it! I scolded myself. I had no right or reason to be jealous. We're just friends.

Callie chuckled and shook her head. "Nope, not at the moment," she said, casting her gaze away from mine. After a moment of tense silence, Callie cleared her throat and stood. "Well, I should head home and let you get some sleep. I'm sure you're exhausted."

I nodded and walked with her to the door. We stood there awkwardly for a moment before she smiled and gave me a quick hug. I was barely able to register the feeling of her arms around me before she stepped back, a flush tinting her cheeks.

She stood there for a moment looking at me, torturing me with the way she bit her lower lip. "What?" I asked with a slight grin.

"Um, well, I promised Abby and Emma that I'd ask you something," she started, fiddling with the strap of her purse slung over her shoulder. "You can say no and I won't be offended or anything, but I just didn't want to break my promise to them."

"What is it?" I asked, curious as to what had her so self conscious.

"Well, they asked if I could come back tomorrow," she rushed out. "I mean, I completely understand if you say no. The only reason I'm asking is because I said I would. Not that I don't want to hang out with you and them tomorrow. I mean, that's what friends do, right? Hang out?"

"Callie," I interrupted, cutting off her amusing rant. Well, it was amusing to me. I'm sure she was incredible nervous. "It's alright. You're more than welcome to come over tomorrow."

She looked surprised. "Really?"

I nodded. "If you want to," I said. "The weather is actually supposed to be pretty nice and I was planning on grilling out for dinner tomorrow evening. You could come over and eat with us. I'm sure the twins would love that. They really like you, you know."

"They do?"

I nodded again. "They won't stop talking about Dr. Callie," I said. "And you're right. Friends hang out."

"O-okay. I'd like that," she said.

"Good," I said with a smile. "Come over around five?"

She nodded. "Sure."

"And bring your suit," I told her. "The girls love to swim and you're more than welcome to do so yourself."

I saw her shift her gaze towards the kitchen as if she could see through the walls and into the backyard that housed the in ground pool. She returned her gaze to me and nodded. "Sure, I can do that." She smiled.

"Awesome," I said.

"Yeah, so I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then," she said, reaching for the doorknob of the front door.

"Goodnight, Callie," I said softly as she stepped outside.

She turned and gave me an almost sad smile. "Goodnight, Arizona," she replied, then continued down the front steps to the driveway. I closed and locked the door behind her, but moved the curtain on the side window aside, watching as she got into her car and backed out of the driveway. I sighed as she disappeared down the street, the bright red of her tail lights slowly fading into the distance.

I forced myself away from the door and made my way back into the living room. I turned off the TV and the lamp before I ascended the stairs. I passed my bedroom and peeked in on the twins, grinning when I noted that they were both fast asleep. After giving them both a gentle kiss on their foreheads, I retreated to my room, shutting the door behind me.

Callie was right, I was exhausted. But I knew trying to sleep would be futile. I walked to the bathroom, stripping off my clothes as I went and letting them drop to the floor. I'd pick them up later. I was naked by the time I reached the bathroom and I reached into the shower to turn on the water, letting it heat up. I stepped under the heated water with a groan of pleasure as the steady stream worked quickly to soothe my tired muscles.

I quickly washed my hair, then reached for the body soap, pouring a generous amount of the sweetly scented liquid onto the bright pink loofah. I began washing the day's grime off my skin, gasping when I moved the rough material over my breasts and noting how sensitive my nipples were. I groaned as I immediately imagined Callie taking one of the buds into her heated mouth and her tongue playing across the tip.

My eyes snapped open and I stilled the hand that I hadn't even realized had crept between my legs to discover the wetness that had absolutely nothing to do with the hot water coming from the shower head. I pulled my hand back as if it had been burned, immediately sticking it under the hot spray of water to eliminate the evidence of my arousal from my fingertips. I leaned against the cold tiled wall, bracing myself with both hands as I pressed my forehead to the cold tile.

Damn it! I thought to myself. That is not how I was supposed to be thinking about a _friend_! I was the one that insisted on being just friends. I had to for those precious little girls just down the hall.

So why in the hell was it so difficult to not think about her?


	7. Hotdogs and Hamburgers

**Title:** Double Trouble (7/?)

**Chapter:** Hotdogs and Hamburgers

**Author: **laurenxx3 (iheartcallietorres on ff)

**Pairing: **Callie/Arizona

**Rating:** NC-17

**Summary:** AU, but still canon-ish - Arizona moves to Seattle after her brother's death to be closer to her parents and her nieces, six-year-old twins, who she has gained custody of. Callie loves kids, but can she handle Arizona's double trouble twin nieces?

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes/ABC. I don't own anything. Any similarities to real life situations/persons are purely coincidental. Not for profit; for entertainment purposes only.

**A/N: **I have absolutely **NO **medical knowledge beyond what I see/hear on Grey's Anatomy, so forgive me of any medical-related errors. Also, this is un-beta'd, so all mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you come across any, but I'm pretty OCD about grammar and spelling, so there shouldn't be too many mistakes. As always, comments are much appreciated (and will encourage me to write more fics in the future - *hint, hint*).

**A/N2**: Sorry this chapter has taken a bit longer than usual… I've been a little, er, distracted and stuck on certain parts of this chapter.

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><p><em>[Callie's POV]<em>

After a fitful, restless night of sleep, I decided to go visit Teddy. I hadn't been able to talk to her the previous day because she'd had back to back surgeries all day. Something I suspected was because she wanted to keep her mind off her most recent men trouble.

But I knew she had that day off. I knocked on her apartment door at noon, hoping she was awake and dressed. Seconds later, I heard a shuffle on the other side of the door and was soon face to face with Teddy. Well, at least she was awake, I thought to myself as I spied her sweatpants and ratty old t-shirt.

I held up a pint of Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream, Teddy's favorite and gave her an expectant look. She reached out and snatched the frozen carton of ice cream out of my hand and made her way into the apartment, leaving the door open in a silent invitation for me to follow. I did, shutting the door behind me and making my way into the kitchen area where Teddy was already digging out two spoons. She handed me one.

"I don't really need any," I said, not wanting to take away precious ice cream from my grieving friend.

"The peds surgeon finally say yes?" she asked.

I studied her, then grabbed the spoon from her, grumbling.

"That's what I thought," Teddy murmured. She opened the refrigerator and grabbed a beer, offering me one, but I declined with a shake of my head. She shrugged and walked to the living room, ice cream in one hand, beer in the other. I sighed and followed, plopping down beside her on the couch.

We sat in silence for a few moments, taking turns digging out ice cream from the paper and wax container. I have to admit, Teddy has excellent taste in 'drown my sorrows' ice cream.

"So, I get home from work last night," Teddy says around a mouthful of ice cream, "and the jackass had left a message on my answering machine."

I glanced over at her, "Let me guess, he apologized and said he was leaving his wife soon?"

"Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!" Teddy slumped farther into her seat. "Like that magically makes everything all better," she muttered.

I sighed and pushed the carton away when she offered me another bite. "You need it more than I do," I said.

Teddy snorted and took another bite. "I thought he was a decent guy, you know?"

"I know," I said, leaning into her a bit. "I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's not your fault."

"I know that, but that doesn't stop me from being the other woman," she said.

I was at a loss for words. "So, what would do you more good: sitting here eating the entire pint of ice cream and wallowing in self pity or going to the mall with me for some retail therapy?"

Teddy looked over at me, spoon in her mouth. "The mall?" she questioned, knowing my aversion to malls.

I nodded. "I find myself in need of a bathing suit," I said.

She eyed me carefully. "Why?"

"I may be going over to Arizona's later today for a cookout with her and the girls… and she has a pool."

"What the hell?" Teddy practically screamed, standing quickly and pulling me with her. "Why are we still here?" She thrust the half-eaten container of ice cream at me. "Here, you put this away while I go change. We're going to find you the _perfect_ suit that will make her drool!"

"No bikinis!" I yelled after her as she rushed to her bedroom. I shook my head and sighed in relief. I should have known that a trip to the mall was the perfect way to get Teddy out of her funk. At least for a little while.

_Two hours later…_

"How about this one?" Teddy asked, holding up a skimpy black bikini.

I glared at her. "How many times do I have to tell you? NO bikinis!"

Teddy pouted. "But bikinis are hot! Don't you want to have her drooling over you?"

I rolled my eyes. "I did mention that the twins will be there, too, right?"

Teddy sighed. "Fine," she said putting the miniscule number back on the rack.

I turned to another rack and began shuffling through the bathing suits, scrunching my nose at a hideous one piece with ruffles. Ruffles!

"Oh, my," I heard Teddy gasp. "You have to try this one on," she said. I turned, expecting to find her holding some ridiculous construction of a few strings and conveniently placed triangles of fabric, but my words died on my lips as I saw what she was holding.

"Huh," I said, grabbing the hanger from her and holding up the purple fabric. It was a two piece, but the top was a halter tankini style. The bottoms were like regular bikini bottoms, but with ties on either side of the hip.

"Go try it on," Teddy insisted, pushing me towards the dressing rooms.

"What are you doing?" I asked as Teddy tried to follow me into the cubicle.

"I want to see how it looks on you," she said.

"I'll come out and show you, I promise," I said, pushing her out.

"Fine," she said dramatically. "It's not like you got anything I don't!"

I rolled my eyes and shut the door, sliding the lock in place. I hung up the hanger on a hook and slipped off my shoes. I quickly shed my clothes and put the suit on, tying the halter strings tight enough to hold my chest in place and making sure the bottoms were tied tightly as well.

"Hurry up!" came an impatient growl from the other side of the door.

"Hold your horses," I said, finally shifting my gaze to the full length mirror on the back wall of the dressing room. I've never been too self conscious of my body. Much. I've always appreciated my full curves, but that doesn't mean I didn't have moments of self doubt. Who doesn't? Especially when wearing a bathing suit and exposing so much of myself to the world.

I was expecting to find something wrong with it because it looked so perfect on the hanger, but I was surprised to find that it looked… good on me! The top was flattering, cupping my breasts in a subtly sexy, but not slutty, way. The bottoms were cute, too, accentuating my long, tanned, muscular legs.

"Yo, Torres! Don't make me come in there!" Teddy called out, banging on the door twice, startling me out of my thoughts.

I rolled my eyes and unlocked the door, pushing it open and emerging slowly. "What do you think?" I asked, striking a pose with my hands on my hips.

Teddy blinked a few time before breaking out into a sly grin. "Sexy, but kid appropriate. I don't care what you say; you're wearing that tonight."

"You think?" I stepped up to the tri-fold mirror, turning to look over my shoulder at my backside, noting how the material fit perfectly.

Teddy stepped up behind me. "Definitely. Peds won't be able to resist you in this."

I snorted, but otherwise didn't respond to her statement. I gave myself one last glance over and nodded. This would do perfectly.

::*::*::*::

_[Arizona's POV]_

"When will Dr. Callie be here?" Emma asked for the tenth time in as many minutes.

I finished blowing up the last arm floatie for the girls. "Emma, I just told you. Five o'clock, sweetie."

I chuckled as Abby struggled to pull on the top of her bathing suit. Both girls were excited at the prospect of seeing Callie again. I couldn't deny my own excitement at seeing the raven-haired beauty.

"What time is it now?" Emma asked impatiently, tugging at her own suit as I reached over to help Abby straighten her top.

"Almost five," I replied. "She'll be here soon. Be patient."

"Can we at least get in the pool?" Abby asked softly.

I shook my head. "Not yet," I replied.

"Why not?" Emma asked, a bit of whine in her voice.

"Because I still have to change into my own bathing suit and answer the door when Callie gets here," I explained. "And you can't be in the pool without me there. Right?"

"Right," Abby agreed with a nod. Emma was slower to agree, but she relented.

"Why don't you go watch TV until Callie gets here?" I suggested. "I need to change."

They left and I returned to my room to change into my suit before joining them on the living room couch. It was only seconds later that I heard a car door shut and I knew it had to be Callie. I stood and walked to the door, opening it as she ascended the front stairs.

"Dr. Callie!" the twins cried out, brushing past me to run and meet her at the top of the steps. I grinned and leaned against the door jam as I watched her kneel to the ground to give them both hugs.

"Hey, ladies," Callie said with a broad grin. "Don't you two look cute."

"Girls, why don't you go get your floaties?" I said, ushering them inside. I stood aside and allowed Callie to enter the house.

"Hey," she greeted with a smile.

"Hey yourself," I replied, closing the door. "They've been waiting all day to swim, so I'm sure they're anxious to get in the pool. I figure we could swim for a bit before starting dinner."

"Sounds good," Callie replied, following me to the kitchen. Not two seconds later, the twins came barreling through the kitchen.

"How many times do I have to tell you two not to run in the house?" I asked, exasperated.

"Sorry," they muttered in time.

"Sure you are," I said. "Ready to swim?"

"Yes!"

I couldn't help but laugh at their enthusiasm. Neither could Callie when they each grabbed one of her hands and pulled her behind them out the kitchen door to the backyard.

The twins wasted no time in carefully making their way into the shallow end of the pool. They were still short enough to need to hold onto the side of the pool, even in the 3-foot shallow end.

"Come on Dr. Callie!" Emma called out. "Get in. The water's great!"

I sat on the edge of the pool near the deep end, watching the girls interact with Callie. I still wore my tank top and shorts as I dipped my feet and legs into the cool water. Callie dropped her bag onto a lounge chair and kicked off her sandals. She reached for the hem of her long over up and pulled it over her head, causing me to gasp. The suit she wore was far from revealing, but it was the epitome of sexy, especially on her curvy frame. I felt my mouth go dry and my stomach clench with the effort to took not to gawk at her. Okay, so maybe I wasn't doing so well at the whole not gawking at her part.

I swallowed and forced myself to look away before she caught me blatantly checking her out. That wasn't was friends did, right?

I heard splashing and glanced over to see Callie making her way down the steps into the water. I grinned as both girls immediately clung to her. She didn't seem the least bit fazed at their grasp on her. Emma had already made her way onto Callie's back while Abby had wrapped her slim arms around Callie's upper arm, hanging on for dear life.

"Aren't you getting in Auntie Zona?" Emma cried out from Callie's back.

"In a few minutes," I said, perfectly content watching Callie and the girls swim for now. I'd relieve her in a bit.

In the meantime, I figured I'd get the food prepared to grill. "I'll be right back," I said, making sure Callie was okay for a few moments alone with the twins. She nodded and I dried off my legs before going into the house, pulling the hamburger meat from the refrigerator. They'd been sitting in the marinade, an old family recipe, for almost six hours and now they needed to rest at room temp for about half an hour before being put on the grill. After I'd pulled the meat and turned on the oven to preheat in order to bake a few potatoes, I returned to the backyard, smiling when I saw Callie trying to teach the girls to go underwater. Emma was more willing to pinch her nose and go under, but Abby clung to the wall in trepidation. Callie didn't push, telling the scared girl that it was okay.

"You know, I refused to put my head under water until I was even older than you," I heard her tell Abby.

"Really?" Abby asked timidly. Callie nodded.

It was then I noted just _how_ good she was with the girls. I'd already knew they worshiped her, but I haven't really seen how she interacted with them until now.

Huh.

::*::*::*::

_[Callie's POV]_

I'd pretended to not notice Arizona's eyes on me as I'd taken off my cover up. But the truth was that I'd felt her gaze burning holes all over my body. I'd silently thanked Teddy that she'd insisted on going into that random store at the mall.

When Arizona returned from the kitchen, she placed towels on the lounger and finally agreed to get in the pool. The twins cheered and held onto the side of the pool as they waited for her. I took the opportunity to rest a bit. I'd only been in with the twins for all of ten minutes, but they were already wearing me out! I reached for a lime green pool noodle and tucked it under my arms, allowing myself to float as I studied Arizona as inconspicuously as possible.

She drew off her tank top, reveling a toned stomach and ample chest in a black bikini top with pink details. I swallowed hard as she turned to place her shirt on the back of the lounger, her lean back tantalizing me. She untied the drawstring to her shorts and let them fall to the ground, revealing matching boy short bottoms that perfectly hugged her magnificent-

She bent to retrieve her fallen shorts and I was done for. I submerged my head underwater to hide my groan of intense pleasure. I should have known this was going to be torture.

I resurfaced and slicked my hair back, blinking my eyes against the chlorine. I glanced up to see Arizona making her way into the pool, holding onto the railing as she slowly acclimated her body to the cool water.

There was an unspoken agreement between the two of us and for the rest of the time in the pool, we kept our distance from one another. Or maybe it was just me making sure there was ample room between us to keep myself from touching her. Even an innocent touch would prove to be my undoing right now.

Luckily, the twins unknowingly helped us keep that distance. They had each of us stand at opposite sides of the pool in the shallow end as they raced one another. We were the refs. I was doing fine at not staring at Arizona until she stated that it was time to get the meat on the grill and lifted herself out of the water. I swallowed as beads of water traveled down her body, guided by gravity, down her long, trim legs, between her ample-

"Dr. Callie!" a voice pulled me out of my daze. Emma tugged on my arm to get my attention. I returned my attention to the girls as Arizona quickly dried off and went inside to get the food.

It was difficult to get the girls out of the pool, but the promise of chocolate milk (because it was a special occasion) did the trick and soon after, the food was done and we all sat around the outdoor table. Arizona had put her shorts and t-shirt back on, much to my dismay, but the white fabric of her top was basically see through from the dampness of her bikini top. I had to remind myself several times to not stare.

The twins were oblivious to the awkwardness that was between Arizona and I, which was probably a good thing. Emma, of course, lead the conversations, jumping from one topic to the next. I was barely able to answer her questions before she asked her aunt another and vice versa.

So I was thrown off when she started in on my personal life.

"Do you have any kids?" Emma asked around a bite of her hotdog.

I swallowed my mouth-full of food and shook my head. "No kids," I answered.

She tilted her head to the side a bit. I had to physically stop myself from reaching out and wiping away the glob of mustard on the corner of her mouth. "Why not?" she asked.

I wiped my own mouth with my napkin, giving myself a moment to figure out how to answer. "It was just never the right time," I said carefully, hoping she wouldn't ask 'why?' again.

"Do you want kids?" she asked instead and I couldn't help but smile.

"I do," I said.

She seemed pleased by that answer and nodded once. She glanced at her aunt, then back at me, a curious expression her face. "Do you have a… boyfriend?" she asked.

I felt my cheeks turn red and I cast a glace at Arizona, who appeared to be amused. I narrowed my eyes at her and she shrugged. I sighed and returned my gaze to the eager young girl. "Nope, I do not have a boyfriend."

She grinned. "Why not?"

"Um," I hesitated, really at a loss as to what to say.

Emma asked more questions before I could answer. "Is it 'cause you like girls? Like Auntie Arizona? Do you have a girlfriend?"

I blinked at the onslaught of questions coming from the bubbly blonde girl, my mind working overtime. I looked up at Arizona, starting to panic. How do you respond to those kinds of questions from a precocious six-year-old?

Arizona took pity on me and cleared her throat. "Emma, stop being nosey," she said. "It's rude."

Emma looked like she wanted to argue, but a single look from Arizona was all it took for her to acquiesce. "Sorry," she mumbled.

I almost laughed at Emma's reaction to Arizona's 'don't argue with me' look, but managed to keep quiet. I hoped I never received that look from Arizona, but I had a feeling that I would at some point. Especially if she kept being so damn adorable. Because I wouldn't be able to keep my hands to myself much longer if she didn't stop.

I cleared my throat and decided to lessen the tension by changing the subject. "So, are you two excited about starting school in a few weeks?" I asked, hoping I sounded upbeat.

I was successful in my plan, however, because Emma immediately started talking about their old school and how she hoped their new one would be just as "awesome." Abby even put her two cents into the conversation when I asked about their favorite subjects, learning that hers was math while Emma's was art.

The rest of the meal was smooth without anymore awkward moments. Well, without anymore obviously awkward moments, that is. Once, I felt a bare foot brush across my own and glanced up at Arizona, who was blushing. "Sorry," she mumbled and continued re-crossing her legs. The twins were obvious to my flustered state from that innocent touch. I'd felt it through my entire body and it made my heart literally skip a beat. I had to force myself to redirect my attention from Arizona to the chatterbox that was Emma, who was telling me about her friends in her old neighborhood.

Once we'd all finished our food, I offered to help clean up. Arizona protested at first, but I insisted. Arizona sent the girls upstairs to get ready for their bath while we carried in the plates and utensils.

"You really don't have to help," Arizona said again as she turned on the water to rinse the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.

"I really don't mind," I said. "You let me use your pool and cooked an amazing meal. It's the least I could do." I placed the dishes in my hands into the sink. "Actually, why don't you go help the girls upstairs while I do this? I can finish up then get out of your hair."

She gave me a questioning look, then shook her head. "You don't have to leave yet," she said. "The twins said something about you promising to watch Finding Nemo with them?"

I grinned, remembering the previous evening when I'd indeed made that promise. I chuckled. "All the more reason for you to go get them bathed while I finish the dishes," I insisted.

She sighed, but didn't argue any further and turned to leave the room. "Alright," she said. "Feel free to make yourself at home in the living room when you're done."

I turned to rinse off the dishes and place them into the dishwasher, then made my way into the living room to wait. I heard laughter from upstairs and couldn't contain my smile. I flipped on the TV and settled for the last ten minutes of a rerun of Friends. Just as the episode was ending, I heard feet shuffling quickly down the stairs and both girls, freshly scrubbed and clad in matching PJ's, rushed into the living room, obviously glad to see that I was still there.

"Auntie Zona said you're going to watch Nemo with us!" Emma said loudly as she clamored onto the couch beside me, sitting crisscross-Applesauce facing me.

"Of course I am," I said enthusiastically, only faking about a quarter of it. I grinned as Abby climbed onto the couch beside me. Although she wasn't as clingy as Emma was to me, it was apparent that Abby had taken a liking to me as well, fore she was never to far when I was around. "I said I would, didn't I?" I asked Abby and she nodded appreciatively.

Just then Arizona entered the room, scraping her still wet hair back into a low ponytail and securing it with a hair tie. I couldn't help but realize how the style left her slender neck available to run my lips across…

No! I chided myself. Stop thinking of her like that.

"Ready for the movie?" Arizona asked, pulling a DVD case off the shelf.

"Yeah!" Emma cried out.

Five minutes later, we were all engrossed in the movie while sitting on the plush couch. Arizona and I each had a corner while the twins sat in between us. Abby had immediately curled into Arizona's side while Emma rotated her body to lie across the couch, her head pillowed by my thigh. I felt my heart melting at the sight.

I glanced over at Arizona and noticed her studying the way Emma had snuggled into me, her eyes betraying her contemplative look. She shifted her gaze to me, but quickly returned her focus on the movie once she realized I'd caught her staring. I blinked a few times, then returned my own gaze to the scene on the TV, the one where Nemo touches the "butt."

By the "Just keep swimming" scene, both girls were fast asleep. I was so focused on the movie, well, more like focused on not looking over at Arizona, that I didn't even realize that they'd fallen asleep until Emma's soft snore met my ear. I glanced down and grinned, then looked over at Arizona, who also seemed to have just realized that they were asleep. She looked up at me and shrugged. "Swimming always tires them out," she said softly, then carefully moved Abby so she could stand up, Abby cradled against her shoulder.

"Do you mind?" she asked, indicating Emma.

I shook my head and also carefully stood, slipping my arms under Emma, one behind her knees and the other under her arms, to carry her up to the girls' room. I followed Arizona up the stairs and into the brightly decorated room. I placed Emma in her bed and pulled the covers over her, then stepped back as Arizona moved to give her a goodnight kiss on the forehead as she'd done to Abby.

After turning off the lights and shutting their door, we returned to the living room where the movie was still playing. Arizona moved to turn it off and I stood there awkwardly.

"Well, I guess I should probably get going, then," I said softly, not wanting to leave but not knowing what else to say.

Arizona looked at me over her shoulder and bit her lower lip, thinking deeply. I nearly groaned at the sight. "Um, you could, uh, stay a bit longer if you like," she said. "I have some wine…" she trailed off.

I grinned. "I'd love a glass of wine," I said. "But only a small one. I'm driving."

Arizona smiled and nodded. "I'll be right back, then," she said, then walked quickly out of the room. I returned to my place on the sofa, looking around the living room to occupy myself.

Arizona returned shortly, bearing two glasses of wine. "I hope you like white," she said. "It's all I have."

I took the glass she offered. "White's fine," I replied. "Thanks."

She nodded and sat next to me, but not too close and we sat in silence for a moment, both enjoying the taste of the liquid. Shortly, however, the silence was killing me and I placed my glass on the coffee table and glanced over at her. "Thanks again for letting me come over. I really do enjoy spending time with the girls… and you."

Arizona glanced over at me as I said the last part, her cheeks flushed slightly. I wasn't sure if it were from the alcohol or my comment but it was adorable either way.

That's it! I couldn't take it anymore. I reached out and took her wine glass from her, setting it on the coffee table beside my own.

"What are you doing?" Arizona asked.

"This," I said, cupping her cheeks in my hands and pressing my lips against hers.

Arizona moaned softly and kissed me back for about three seconds before she pulled away. "I can't," she whimpered, her voice so soft that I barely heard it.

"Why not?" I asked, pressing my lips just beside her mouth.

Arizona whimpered, her eyes closing as she turned her head to catch my lips with her own, this time dominating the kiss as she demanded entrance into my mouth with her tongue.

I felt the kiss throughout my entire body, sending shockwaves straight to my core. I hummed in pleasure as our tongues met for the first time, my hands reaching around to wrap around her narrow waist. I fought to regain control as I pressed her back into the couch cushions, shifting so that my full weight wasn't on top of her.

I felt Arizona tunnel her fingers into my hair as she pressed her hips upwards slightly, her leg hooking itself over my hip. I reached down and gripped her thigh, bare by her shorts. I dug my fingers into the supple flesh I found there, groaning at the softness of her skin.

Our tongues continued to duel until oxygen became necessary. I pulled back slightly only to bury my face in her neck, nipping at her pulse point. She arched again as I found a particularly sensitive spot and I grinned as she groaned out in pleasure.

"Oh, Callie," she whimpered.

At the sound of my name on her lips in such as seductive tone, I groaned, instinctively pressing my thigh between her legs against her heated center, causing her to gasp aloud.

I swallowed her gasp as I pressed my lips against hers once again, loving the way her fingers tightened in my hair as she held me firmly to her. The hand I had on her thigh moved upwards, over her hip to her waist, moving the fabric of her tank top upwards as I caressed the satiny smooth skin of her stomach. Arizona moaned softly, the vibrations sending more pulses directly to my center.

My hand crept even higher until I could feel the underside of her bikini top, my thumb grazing the softness of her full breast.

"Auntie Zona!" a loud yell from the top of the stairs caused us to spring apart like two guilty teenagers caught by their parents. Arizona quickly stood and pulled her tank top down, rushing to the bottom of the stairs.

"What is it, Em?" she called out.

"Can I have a glass of water?" the tired girl asked.

Arizona brushed a hand over her messed up ponytail. "Sure, I'll bring it up in a minute, okay? Go back to bed."

Emma must have done as she asked because she immediately turned and walked back to the living room. "I'm sorry," she said.

I stood and shook my head. "No need to apologize," I said with a slight grin. "She just wants some water."

Arizona shook her head and I noticed that she was on the verge of tears. "That's not why I'm sorry," she said, voice shaky. I had the urge to just wrap my arms around her and not let her go, but I had a feeling that would be the wrong thing to do at that point. "That shouldn't have happened. That… kiss."

I knit my brow, hands planted firmly o my hips. "That was more than a kiss, Arizona," I said. "It was… amazing."

She stiffened a bit. "I'm sorry," she repeated, shaking her head. "You should… you should go now."

I studied her carefully for a moment, then felt my heart drop. She was dead serious. I licked my lips and blinked against my own tears, swallowing the lump that was quickly forming in my throat. I dropped my hands from my hips, my shoulders slumping in defeat. I walked to the chair where I'd placed my purse earlier and slung it over my shoulder before walking to the front door. I cast one glance over my shoulder and my heart nearly broke at the sight of Arizona turning to face away from me, wiping away a lone tear.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Please don't hate me; I have a plan in my head already as to how to get them together. Okay? Good. Remember, reviews = love! :)


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